


G.D.

by MacdeauShipper



Category: Political RPF, Political RPF - France 21st c.
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Original Character - Freeform, POV First Person, Romance, Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:47:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 61,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25993969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MacdeauShipper/pseuds/MacdeauShipper
Summary: Elena is having a drink in a bar, working on her laptop, when the waiter brings her a beer, and a note from a man who noticed her. Will she give him a chance ? Where will this lead her ?
Relationships: Gerald Darmanin/Original Character
Comments: 96
Kudos: 16





	1. The meet

**Author's Note:**

> AS PER USUAL WITH ALL OF MY RPF FICS, I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR THE REAL PERSON THAT ARE THE CHARACTERS I AM WRITING. Nothing I can write here is made to disrespect them, and I expect the same from my readers. If you don't like them/him or if you don't like what I write, feel free to look for another story to read. 
> 
> I know the whole "Gerald" topic might be sensitive for some of you. It had been for me, it still is somehow, but let's not focus on that too much. That story had been stuck in my head for too long, and I needed the whole world to read it...  
> \--- 
> 
> This is my first "non-gay" RPF, so I'd love to have your opinion on it. Please don't be shy, leave a comment, I read and answer them all (as always).

A clinking sound makes me raise my eyes from my laptop screen and I notice a full glass of beer in front of me on the wooden table, next to my nearly finished one. 

“I didn’t order that.” I indicate to the waiter, barely looking up to him 

“I know.” he answers “But someone did it for you, Madam.” 

I frown and this time look frankly up, raising my chin towards the man who is still standing besides me. He hands me a handwritten card and says : 

“He asked me to give you that, with the beer.” 

“Who ?” I ask 

“He told me you’d know, once you’ve read the card.” smirks the waiter, stepping away from my table

With a lot of perplexity and curiosity I look down at the paper I hold in my hands and read the carefully written words : 

_ I have been looking at you for quite a while now, and I am intrigued by how focused you are on whatever you are writing.  _ _  
_ _ I’m offering you this beer as fuel for your thoughts, but if you feel like you and I could talk for a while, I’d be delighted to have dinner with you.  _

_ Sincerely yours,  _

_ G.D.  _

I have no idea who this could come from, and the initials at the end are not enlightening me much. The restaurant in which I am sitting for now is quite crowded and any man could be the mysterious sender. I take a sip of my fresh beer and observe the people around me. There is a table of men that intrigues me : they are wearing suits, and I’m pretty sure I saw at least two of them look in my direction earlier on. Could any of them be the one ? I check my wristwatch and sigh softly : I had planned on eating dinner here anyway. I grab a pen in my bag and write down “OK” on the back of the card and call the waiter who brought it to me. 

“Could you bring it back to the man who wrote it please ?” 

“I will.”

Contrary to what I expected, he does not take the direction of the table of men I noticed earlier, but he walks back to the bar, and gives the card back to a man perched on a stool, in the darkest corner of the restaurant. Somewhere where he can see the whole room, but not be seen. And I understand why when he pockets the card, grabs his glass of coke and comes into the light. I gasp of surprise and nearly choke on my beer, and I’m still coughing, trying to dismiss my trouble when he sits down in front of me. 

“I know,” he smirks “I tend to have that effect on women. Nice to meet you, I’m Gérald.” 

“I know who you are.” I answer shaking the hand he offers “Everyone knows who you are.” 

I clear my throat one last time and add : 

“My name is Elena. I wasn’t expecting… you.” 

“I hope you don’t mind me being as forward as I was, but I happen to often have a drink here in the evenings, and you caught my eye tonight. May I ask what you are writing ?” 

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” I joke 

“Try anyway.” 

“Fanfiction. About political figures.” 

“Oh.” he reacts, arching an eyebrow “I hope I wasn’t one of them.” 

“Not yet. But who knows, maybe you will after tonight.” 

I smile at him and close my laptop, placing it back in my bag. I discreetly check my phone, and put it on silent mode, deciding to focus on the amazing opportunity that is offered to me tonight. And suddenly it comes to me, like an epiphany : the men I noticed earlier must be the Minister security officers. And this must be why they were checking me out, to identify if I was a threat, or simply a new prey for their boss. 

“Do you often flirt in restaurants ?” I ask all of a sudden 

The question escaped my lips quicker than I would have wanted, and I hide my embarrassment into my beer, avoiding the scrutinizing gaze of Gerald Darmanin, who is puzzled, but not disturbed by the question. 

“I wouldn’t say often,” he answers “but when I see a woman I find interesting, I try my luck.” 

“The written card is a good trick.” I say “Uncommon, but very surprising.” 

“Is that why you answered yes ?” he asks me 

“Probably.” I say “Because I had no idea of who might have offered me that beer.”

“Would you have said yes if you had known it was me ?” he continues 

“Honestly ? I don’t know.” I say “But rest assured that you and I would have made eye-contact more than once if I had known you were in that restaurant.” 

He grins and it makes me smile a little. He finished his soda and calls the waiter, asking me at the same time : 

“Would you be against a glass of champagne ? To celebrate us meeting and having, I hope, a wonderful dinner together ?” 

“As you want.” I reply 

“Two glasses of champagne,” he asks to the waiter “the same brand as usual, please. And bring us the menus as well, we’ll be having dinner afterwards.” 

“Do you want a quieter table, maybe ?” suggests the man, designating one in a further corner, isolated from the room by a marble column. 

Gérald silently checks with his security service to know if this is okay, and he nods at the waiter. 

“Yes, thank you. A quieter table will be perfect.” 

I grab my bag and my jacket, and Gerald pulls the chair out for me at our new table, like a real gentleman. I sit down and he sits in front of me, across the table. I take a few seconds to detail his outfit and only notice then that he is not wearing any tie, and that the collar button of his shirt is not closed. A semi-casual outfit in short. Just what you would expect from an off-duty Minister, that is never really entirely off-duty. The glasses of champagne are brought to us with a plate of mini-toasts and I remember what my date said earlier : 

“You asked for the usual brand,” I say “does that mean you’re a regular in this restaurant ?”

“I am.” he admits “But champagne is only for special occasions.” 

I blush slightly and continue : 

“Special occasions ? Is a date considered a special occasion ?” 

“Sometimes.” he replies with a wink “Cheers to you, and to your courage for saying yes to a very strange man who offered you a beer.” 

“Cheers to you” I answer raising my glass in return

We both smile to each other and take a sip of champagne. When Gerald places his glass back on the table, he takes his turn to ask questions. We spend a long time exchanging about my life, who I am, what I do in life, what are my aspirations for the future. For dinner, we decide ourselves on something very basic and Parisian-style : ham and cheese crepe for me, fries with an egg for Gerald (Northern style). Our discussion evolves into one about Gerald’s occupation, but only the parts he can disclose, and I quickly realize he would rather talk about himself than his work. So I ask him about his childhood, and his life in the North of France and he answers with passion, telling a lot of anecdotes and jokes about what he lived there. For dessert, Gerald eats a chocolate fondant, and I have a cup of vanilla ice-cream. There is this natural connexion between us that makes the conversation flow easily, and at no point do we hesitate, or struggle on what to say. it is refreshing, and I reflect on that while Gerald gets back to the bar to pay. When he comes back to the table, he seems a bit more nervous than before, and his fingers nervously tap on the table, without him realizing he is doing so. 

“I don’t want to break this wonderful moment, Elena,” he says “but I will make a proposition that you, by all means, are free to decline.” 

“Don’t bother.” I immediately reply, knowing exactly that he is going to propose to continue the evening at his place “The answer is yes.” 

“Are you sure ? I don’t mean to force you into anything and…” 

I trap his relentless fingers in mine and say : 

“Yes, I’d very much like to continue this evening with a drink at your place, Gerald.” 

“My security service is going to kill me.” he mutters “But I am delighted.” he adds 

He brings my hand to his mouth and plants a soft kiss on it, making me shiver from head to toe. His lips barely touched my skin but I felt electrified as if struck by thunder. He lets go of my hand, and tells me : 

“Please, Elena, give me five minutes to clear out some details with the agents that came here with me, and then we’re on our way out.” 

I nod and watch him go discuss with his men. The conversation seems to be quite heated, but they keep their voices low enough not to be heard. Gerald seems nervous and angry, and he gives several glances in my direction ; the security officers eventually sigh and shrug, agreeing on letting me go back with them at the Ministry, without having checked my background before, like they usually do with all newcomers or visitors. Gerald comes back to me and pulls my chair back to ease my way up. He holds my bag while I put my jacket on, and we walk out the restaurant, followed closely by his bodyguards. Thankfully for us, only a few clients are left, and no one is really paying attention to us, but I am blushing nonetheless to be seen with a man like him. The Minister opens the door of his car for me and I climb aboard, followed by him, and two bodyguards. The other ones are in the cars in front of us and behind us. I buckle my seatbelt and lean against the back of the seat, closing my eyes for a brief second, trying to make sense of what is happening to me. I nearly jump in scare when I feel the warmth of a finger hooking up around my little finger on the car seat, discreetly, but with a lot of confidence at the same time. I turn to Gerald who smiles at me and reads the silent question in his eyes : can he go further and take my hand ? I nod imperceptibly and he intertwines fingers with me, a smile on his lips, but no words exchanged between us. The ride to the Interior Ministry is not long, and it allows both of us to check our phones with our free hand. Since we are not alone in the car, we’d rather not talk, and when the car pulls over in the courtyard, Gerald lets escape a little sigh of relief. He pockets his phone and we get out of the car, but one of the security agents keeps me from going further : 

“Madam,” he says “I need an ID, and you’ll get it back when you leave.” 

“Seriously ?” reacts Gerald 

“You know about the procedure, Sir.” answers the man “No one enters without being checked in by security. Ladies included.” 

“It’s fine.” I say to Gerald, reluctantly handing my driving license to the bodyguard “Can we go now ?” 

“Have a nice evening.” politely says the man 

Gerald doesn’t even bother to answer, and still holding my hand he brings me inside the Ministry. We nod to the few employees that are still there at this hour of the evening, and head upstairs to his private apartments. He thanks the staff and dismisses them, closing the door so that we are alone. 

“I am sorry for all of this,” he apologizes “the protocol, the security, the staff and everything… It must seem…” 

“Overwhelming ?” I suggest 

“Is it ? I should have brought you somewhere else maybe.” 

“It’s fine.” I reply “It is a bit overwhelming, and surprising, but I don’t mind… If this is the price for this evening with you then, I’m willing to pay it all…” 

We are now facing each other, holding hands only by the tip of our fingers, and I look into his eyes, wondering if he’ll dare take the first step towards a kiss we seem to both be expecting and dying to have. He is about to move forward when something comes between our legs and he chuckles, saying : 

“Always interrupting at the worst moments possible, let me introduce you to my cat…” 

“Boris.” I finish his sentence “I know, you’re talking about him all the time on Instagram. He’s cute.” 

Boris broke that moment we were having and Gerald lets go of me to pick the beast up from the floor. I get rid of my jacket and bag and drop them on a nearby pedestal table, taking the time to admire the room in which we are. 

“I am mildly allergic to cats, so I usually avoid petting them,” I explain “although I find him extremely cute and would love to do so.” 

“Mildly allergic ?” frowns Gerald 

“Some cats make me sneeze and make my eyes cry for hours, and some others end up doing nothing to me. I won’t take any risks. But I’m fine having him run around, don’t worry.” 

I smile at him, and he puts the cat back on the floor, sending him away. The animal looks at me for a few seconds, and then leaves into another room. Gerald motions me further into his apartment and I follow him. We end up in the kitchen, a jewel of technology that has nothing to do with the rest of the flat and I must have a shocked expression on my face because he explains : 

“Christophe had the kitchen remade, and yes it’s a bold move to have such futuristic equipment, but it serves its purpose and that’s all we need it for.” 

“Do you cook ?” I ask while he washes his hands in the sink 

“Rarely. I don’t have much time to do so. Don’t open the fridge, it’s the typical example of a bachelor’s fridge and you’d faint if you saw what I eat on a daily basis…” 

I smirk but stay away from the fridge. With the hectic life he has, no wonder he has no time to cook, and ready-made meals must be at the essence of his alimentation. With his hands clean he comes back to me and asks : 

“Do you mind if I undo your ponytail ? I have been wondering all night what you’d look like with your hair loose.” 

I remove the elastic that keeps my hair up myself, and slightly shakes my head so my hair falls down my shoulders. I see Gerald smile, and he replaces a lock of my hair behind my ear. His hand stays on my cheek, warm and soft, and his thumb caresses my skin, brushing against the corner of my lips. Once again, there is this intensity in his gaze, and I am mesmerized, unable to look away. But he blinks, and this sparkle fades away, his shyness taking the best of him. He removes his hand and clears his throat, avoiding my eyes as I try to hide my disappointment. 

“Do you want something to drink ? Cold or hot ? A coffee maybe ?”

“I don’t drink coffee.” I say “But I wouldn’t say no to some tea…” 

He puts some water to boil and looks into the cupboard above the sink for a tin box that he makes slide in front of me. It's full of various teabags and I take time to choose and pick one, while he makes coffee for himself. He gives me a mug of steaming hot water and I dip the tea in it, finally looking up at him : 

"How long since you brought a woman in here?" I ask 

"You are the first one." He admits with a lot of honesty "But when I was in Bercy I had a few over… Nothing really serious, but enough to piss off Bruno when he crossed their path in the morning as they went away when he was arriving." 

"It sounds charming." I comment with a nervous chuckle "Who am I risking to piss off tomorrow morning?" 

"Hopefully no one." he smiles "Marlene will be on the move all day, the staff won't say a word to you, and the security already knows you're here. Unless you have something to hide, you're more than welcome here." 

I sip my tea and smile at him. We look at each other without the need for words to fill the silence that settles between us. He finished his coffee and since his left hand is laying on the table between us, I take it between my fingers, allowing them to wander on his skin. He closes his eyes and inhales sharply, appreciating this soft touch. My fingers encounter a tiny dent at the base of his ring finger and he senses my hesitation. Gerald opens his eyes and says : 

"It turns out that removing a wedding ring is much harder than you would expect, especially when you put on some weight… Mine left a tiny trace of its presence." 

I nod. We briefly talked about his divorce over dinner, in all honesty, and I don't want to bring back old memories to the surface. What belongs to the past should stay in the past. I intertwine fingers with him and finish my tea, ready to take the next step, if that is still what Gerald has in mind. He did not deny me staying for the night when I joked about offending someone by my presence in the morning, which must certainly mean we are expecting the same thing from tonight. But we are simply too shy for now to dare make a move… after all, we have only known each other for a few hours. And yet it feels like I've known Gérald for far longer. My eyes are drawn by some movement at the threshold of the room and Gerald who saw me move my eyes turns his head and sighs. It's the cat, once again curiously drawn towards the newcomer that I am and wondering if I am a friend or a threat. It jumps on the stool next to Gerald and looks for his master's cuddles which I find adorable. I remove my hand from Gerald's one so he can take the cat into his arms and pet him, as I watch him do so. 

"This is terribly cute." I whisper 

"He has been my only true friend until now. But I'm hoping to one day balance my life between a woman, and him."

"Well, you have plenty of love to give, I'm sure." I say with a smile "And you are actually a sweet gentleman, far from the image people are trying to give you." 

"I haven't always been like that." he answers sharply "I used to be the bastard they say I was. Minus the rape, of course. But I'm not that man anymore, I'm older and wiser, and I am looking for something else in my life. You told me over dinner that you always dreamt of finding the 'right one'; well, I am at a point in my life where I too want to find that 'right one' and marry her. And have children if it's not too late." 

There was an ounce of nostalgia in his voice and I feel my heart beat faster. I understand what he says, and I feel on the same page. Establishing solid grounds of a relationship, having my own family : those are the two main goals of my life and I intend to achieve them in the years to come. 

"And what does this woman looks like in your dreams?" I ask as he let's go of the cat who got bored of Gerald's lack of exclusive attention 

"I don't have a specific picture in mind," he smirks "but I tend to have a thing for girls with dark hair. And incredible eyes. Like you." 

That makes me blush really hard and he closes the distance between us, placing a hand on my cheek. 

"I also like my girlfriends to be smart, funny, flirty and audacious…. Which you are for daring to come down here tonight after this very impromptu dinner." 

"We only live once" I simply say, adding my hand over his on my cheek "and life is too short to miss an opportunity like that."

He smiles and adds : 

"Do you have criteria for your Prince Charming?" 

"I'd like him to be a good kisser." I joke to provoke him into doing what we both want to do but are still hesitating 

"They usually say I am." he replies

"Let me be the judge of that" 

He smiles and leans forward to kiss me. When his lips finally find mine, it feels like an evidence. As if the whole world stopped revolving for a second, but it didn't matter because I was at my rightful place in this universe : in Gerald's arms. This kiss stays chaste and too brief for both us, but it still leaves us speechless and panting, looking at each other like two teenagers who just committed a delightful and forbidden mischief. 

“It was about time, don’t you think ?” I chuckle 

“I wasn’t certain you would welcome that kiss.” he says, biting his lower lip 

“Why ?” 

“Having a date in a restaurant, and taking things further is a whole different step, Elena.” he explains “And sometimes, women like to take things slow.” 

“Do you ?” I frown “Want to take things slow ?”

“No.” 

He grins and I grab him by the collar of his shirt to press my mouth on his lips once more, leaving us no room for hesitation nor second thoughts. His hand travels to the back of my head, intensifying this embrace, and his other hand finds its place in my lower back, bringing me even closer to him. I feel his tongue asking the way between my lips and I part them to let him take possession of me, entirely ; I surrender fully to this passionate kiss, and our tongues find each other, dancing a ballet as they discover this new territory. We have to break it to catch our breath, but he keeps me in his arms, burying his head into my neck, his lips softly touching my skin, making me shiver all the way down my spine. 

“You are making me crazy, Elena.” he whispers in my ear 

I laugh softly and start unbuttoning his shirt. He is still kissing my neck, and I struggle to keep focused on my task, which seems to amuse him very much. I hear him giggle in my ear, and this is the purest sound in the world. A sound that came straight from heaven. When I eventually manage to open the last button of his shirt, I make it slide down his shoulders and I discover his chest, with my eyes first, but soon with my hands too. He stopped kissing me, to watch me explore with the tip of my fingers, tracing the curves of the muscles and of his stomach. He does not have the figure of a top-model and he is aware of it, but I don’t care. To me, he looks perfectly fine. 

“Let’s continue in my room,” he says trapping my hand in his “we’ll be much more comfortable.” 

“What if I don’t want to ?” I reply with a grin 

“Trust me,” he answers “I’d take you right against this wall, but I want to make things right. Please, come with me.” 

He grabs my hairband that I left on the table and places it around his wrist, picks up his shirt from the floor and takes my hand to lead the way to the bedroom. I follow him and he closes the door after me, pinning me against it, his mouth back on mine. He throws his shirt in a corner of the room and uses both his hands to lift up my top above my head. It takes the same direction, and makes us both giggle. I thank the universe for putting a nice bra on this morning, and not the first one of the pile as I so often do. His fingers linger on the colorful lace of my underwear, and he smiles. 

“You look incredible.” he mutters 

One of his hands cups my breast and I let escape a soft sigh to feel the warmth and softness with which he does so. He makes the strap of my bra slide down my shoulder to free the boob and he questions me silently as if I’m allowing him to touch. I nod and feel his hand close down on my skin, caressing it as he discovers the area, slowly. I remove by myself the other strap to uncover my breasts totally, and unhook my bra so he can help me remove it entirely. We drop it on the floor, and he takes me by the hips to bring me to the bed; there, he makes me sit down, and he says : 

“Please, don’t stay silent, it doesn’t seem to be the kind of person you are.” 

“And being soft and considerate doesn’t seem like you either.” I reply

“I can be a caring lover.” he argues “Let me take care of you. Please, let me be the man I always dreamt of being.” 

“Yes. As you wish.” I chuckle “As long as it ends up in both of us screaming our pleasure.” 

“It will.” he smirks 

He is adorable when he is smiling, and I surrender to his cute game. He takes one of my legs, puts my foot on his knee and proceeds to unlace my sneaker. He drops it on the floor, removes my sock, and does exactly the same with the other shoe. He removes his own while he is at it, and then climbs atop of me on the bed. Our mouths find each other once more, and our tongues dance together. His right hand comes on my hip, just above the waistband of my jeans, and he whispers against my lips : 

“I want to explore : your body drives me insane. You bewitched me earlier with your mind, and now you are making me have the wildest thoughts.” 

“The wildest thoughts ?” I react with a smile “Please, tell me about those…” 

“I’m going to do much better,” he smirks “I’m going to show you.” 

He kisses me once briefly on the lips and immediately his mouth travels down my throat, and between my breasts, up to my stomach. It gives me goosebumps, and a thrill of anticipation crosses my whole body, making me arch involuntarily on the bed. He giggles and keeps kissing my skin, going back up on my right nipple, and trapping it between his lips. 

“Oh.” I gasp “Keep doing that. It feels good.” 

He uses his fingers to tease the other nipple while he sucks gently on that one and it drives me completely insane already. I moan and wiggle on the bed, clenching my fists on the bedsheets in a vain attempt to master my pleasure. But he’s skilled at what he is doing. And I can feel his experience in the way he uses his tongue to circle the aroused tip of my nipple making me squirm even more. The conjoined action of his fingers and mouth is sending waves of desire to my brain and I am left panting, needing for more. It’s only when my eyes cross his own that I understand he awaits for me to ask for more, to beg even, to go down on me. 

“Please, Gerald.” I say 

“Yes ?” he answers arching an eyebrow 

“I… I want more. Please.” 

He smiles at me and I feel his hands trying to open the fly of my jeans. He struggles to do so, and has to do it twice to manage to open it. I lower my gaze, thanking once again the universe for wearing a matching set of underwear. I had not been expecting to get laid tonight, but both the bra and the briefs were clean and in my wardrobe at the same time. I get drawn out of thoughts by Gerald’s finger tracing down the line of hair going down from my pelvis and into my panties ; he stops at the waistband of my underwear and I feel the need to explain myself : 

“Don’t expect me to be clean-shaven down there, the porn-type look doesn’t really suit me and…”

“Hey,” he cuts me “no need for an explanation, or self-justification. I’ll see when I will finally get you rid of your clothes. Talking about that, do you mind helping me ?” 

I lift up my hips so he can remove my jeans and he drops them on the floor next to the bed. I am now only wearing my panties, and he comes back on top of me to kiss my lips, but his hand stays down there, caressing my intimacy through the fabric of my underwear. I am already wet, and there is no way he didn’t notice that. He slowly but surely pulls the fabric on the side so he can access my intimacy, and I feel his finger slide along my slit. He does not hesitate for one split second, and his middle finger dives right inside me, fully lubricated by my own pleasure. I moan loudly and blush, avoiding his gaze at all costs. 

“Look at me, Elena.” he groans “Look at me. I want to see how much you enjoy that.” 

I open my eyes and hold his gaze, mesmerized by his brown eyes looking at me with so much passion and desire. I have never encountered anyone before who looked at me with such an expression. He withdraws his finger, all too slowly, and pushes it back inside, making me scream his name and thrusts my hips towards him to feel him deeper. 

“Oh, do you want me that much ?” teases Gerald 

“Yes, I do !” I exclaim “And I think I am not mistaken if I say you desire me too.” 

Indeed, I can feel his growing erection trapped in his suit pants against my leg, and I am eager to discover if what I imagine about him being well-endowed is true. 

“You’re not wrong.” he chuckles getting off the bed to get rid of his belt

He climbs back next to me, and we kiss each other with passion, my hand sliding down his back, grabbing his arse through his pants, appreciating how muscular it is, and pressing him further against me. With one hand I undo his fly, and my mouth leaves his own to travel down his chest, kissing down a trail to his stomach and lower. I made him lie down on his back and took back the reins of our love-making session. I grab the waistband of his pants, and lower them, dropping them on the floor at the feet of the bed. He is wearing black and blue striped boxers, slightly old-school, and I grin to see that his erection is very visible through it already. I bring my hand onto it, and explore the area, trying to assess the length and girth of it. 

“Do you have… ?” I start 

“Yes.” he nods, knowing what I am talking about “In my nightstand. Let’s not take any risks. Not this time.” 

We both nod and I take the elastic waistband of his boxers between my fingers to lower them. There is no turning back now, and he crosses his arms behind his head to watch me do. He barely lifts up his hips to help me, and my hand immediately comes back to his erected rod. I was right : he’s above average. Both in length and in girth. And his satisfied smile makes me say he knows about it, and was waiting for me to realize it. 

“You are too satisfied with yourself, Gerald.” I say softly 

“And you are one of the only women who smiled and did not freak out when she undressed me.” 

“I was expecting… that.” I grin 

I lean forward towards the nightstand and pick up a condom in the drawer, giving it to Gérald. As we said, let’s not take any risks. I am still touching him, letting my fingers wander up and down his cock, barely touching his skin, but he already has an ecstatic grin on his lips. He rips open the packaging of the condom with his teeth and I put it on him, using both of my hands to do so. It is the first time I hold his penis fully in my hands, and he exhales deeply, overtaken by pleasure. But I see the sparkle in his eyes switch slightly and he makes me fall on the bed next to him, swapping our places. He wants to be back in charge, and I’ll let him do. Our lips find each other again and with one of his hands he finally gets me off my panties, having us both naked on top of each other. I feel his rod between my legs and I moan slightly against his mouth. 

“I want you.” I mutter “Please, Gérald, I want you.” 

He smiles at me and drags me by the legs to the edge of the bed. He is standing on his feet, between my thighs, and he positions himself, asking one last time silently for my consent. I nod and he thrusts himself in me, inch by inch making me scream of pleasure as he does so. My fists are clenched but his hands come find mine and he intertwines fingers with me, leaning over my naked body, to penetrate me deeper and steal a kiss from my mouth. 

“It feels so good.” he moans in my ear, burying his head in my neck “You feel so great around me.” 

He moves his hips back and forth, thrusting himself in and out of me, and we both moan together. There is no shame in letting our pleasure be shown or heard, and it makes us both smile to see we are on the same wavelength. We keep kissing while he fucks me, and it’s getting wilder, and rougher as we both feel the pleasure rise up. He suddenly gets entirely out of me and says : 

“Get on all fours for me, please.” 

The tone of his voice arouses me so much that I don’t even try to negotiate, and I do as he says. He helps me find a comfortable position, and he leans over me, getting back inside my hole in one powerful hip thrust that draws a cry out of my throat. He wraps my hair around his wrist to tug on them gently, not pulling hardly, but just enough to remind me that he is controlling the situation. His other arm is around my waist and his hand dived between my legs, finding my clitoris that he teases with one finger, making me even more crazy. His lips are on the back of my neck, soft and caring, in total contradiction with his dominant attitude, and all of those mixed signals are making a mess out of me. I’m no longer able to think straight, and all that comes out of my mouth is gibberish sounds, and loud moans that I can’t repress. He is grunting and panting over me, and I feel like he is close to reaching his own orgasm very soon. Mine takes me by surprise, and I would have collapsed on the bed if it wasn’t for his arm holding me at the waist. He gives me a few seconds to breathe, and enquires softly in my ear : 

“Are you okay Elena ?”

“More than okay, Gerald. I feel blissed out.”

“I am glad to hear that.” he answers kissing me just below the ear “I feel very close too.” 

“Would you mind changing position again ?” I suggest “I’d like to be able to see you when you reach your pleasure…” 

“Do you have something in mind ?” he chuckles 

“I want to ride you.” I assert 

“Oh.” he answers with astonishment 

He gets off of me and lies down on the bed, arms crossed behind his head, a daring look on his face. Either he doesn’t believe I am capable of doing what I said, or he really wants to see (and feel) it. I climb on top of him, one leg on each side of his, and I lower myself down on his erected cock, never for one second lowering my eyes. We look at each other for as long as it lasts for me to be fully on him, and then only I briefly close my eyes for a second and gasp. It still feels good, even after a powerful orgasm. I move my pelvis slightly and he groans of pleasure, discovering a whole new range of sensations. 

“Do that again.” he asks “Please.”

I undulate my hips once more, and this time we both moan in unison, unable to refrain from doing so. He takes one of my hands and the other one comes on my breasts, teasing my nipples like he did before, as I start riding him. Hearing him moan my name in such an indecent way is turning me on even more, and we are both nearing the non-return point in no time once again. He sits up in the bed, his hands travelling up my back, me still impaled on his massive dick, and he kisses me like there is no tomorrow, holding me in his arms. I feel his cock throb and a guttural grunt escapes his throat when he finally comes, deep inside of me, his head buried in my neck, his whole body stiffen by the orgasm he is having. I follow him in ecstasy a few seconds after, and my whole body arches, my head tilted backwards and I moan his name, panting heavily as I try to come back to my senses. He holds me by the waist for as long as I need to recover, and I come back into his arms, hugging him tightly to catch my breath for a long while. I placed my head on his shoulder, and my lips are caressing his skin, slightly sweaty from this intense makeout session we just had. He is still in me, and we both know we will have to get off of each other but for a few more seconds, we want to enjoy this unique sensation of being united as one. There is no need for words, this connexion that we shared through sex was beyond that need of talking, and when he kisses me in the neck, I can feel all the gratitude and passion he is expressing with his lips. With reluctance I get off of him and let myself down on the bed, exhausted, my body pleading for some rest. He sits on the edge of the bed to remove the condom and says to me : 

“I’ll be back in no time. Try not to fall asleep.” 

“I’ll do my best.” I answer with a smile 

When he comes back five minutes later, I have only put my panties back on, and I am lying more comfortably on the bed. He grabs his underwear too and puts them back on before joining me. He lies down on his back, and extends an arm so I can snuggle against him, which I gladly do. I put my head on his chest, one of my hands travelling up and down his stomach, and his arm is around my shoulders, keeping me closely against him. My legs are intertwined with his own, and we start discussing in this position, trying to make sense of what just happened. 

“You know, when we were talking about our ideal partners earlier,” he starts “we forgot to mention sexual chemistry…” 

“I think we can tick that box anyway.” I laugh “This was amazing. I never felt so in phase with someone I had sex with before.” 

“Me neither.” he admits “There was something different about you and I in this bed…” 

“Maybe it’s because you actually brought me to bed. I understood that you usually don’t make it up this far.” I joke 

He looks down at me, I look up at him and we both crack up into an uncontrollable laughter. 

“If this is a wish of yours,” he says while calming down “we’ll do it someplace else than the bed, next time.” 

“Providing there’s a next time.” I answer 

He frowns and I add : 

“That was a joke. I want it, Gerald. There will be a next time. I mean… If you want it too…” 

I feel the blush coming to my cheeks and I look away. He grabs my chin between his fingers and forces me to look up : 

“I want it too.” he whispers “Of course I want it too. I’d be a fool to say no to you, Elena.” 

He seals this deal with a soft kiss on my lips and adds : 

“I did not officially ask you but… you’re staying for the night ?”

“Yes. But I’ll have to be gone at seven thirty, at the latest, to go to work.” 

“We’ll put an alarm.” he replies “Do you want to take a shower before going to sleep ?”

“Yes, if you don’t mind.” I say “But you can come with me.” 

He smiles but declines the offer. 

“This would not be the smartest thing to do. Let me show you the bathroom.” he says nonetheless 

He comes with me, but stays at the threshold, being very careful to give me some intimacy. 

“Help yourself with whatever you need.” he says “I’ll wait for you in the bed. Unless you’d rather have me sleeping elsewhere ?” 

This was a serious question given the tone of his voice and I frown deeply. Where is this coming from ? I shake my head, steal a kiss from his lips and whisper : 

“Wait for me in the bed, I won’t be long.” 

I come back to the bedroom less than twenty minutes later, still wearing only my panties, but showered and refreshed. Gerald is waiting for me, reading a book, glasses on his nose. He turns his head towards me when I enter and a tiny smile illuminates his face as his eyes travel up and down my body. I pick up his shirt from the floor and pass it on. I only close one button so it stays around my shoulders and I climb on the bed, lying down next to him. 

“What are you reading ?” I ask 

“Poetry.” he replies “Baudelaire. I usually read a couple of sonnets before going to bed. It’s a nice change from everything I have to read during the day for work.” 

“This is cute. And understandable. Did you set an alarm on your phone ? I left mine in my bag, and I don’t feel like going back to pick it up.” 

“I did better than that.” he smirks pointing at a tiny mechanical alarm-clock on his nightstand “I programmed it for six thirty, will that be okay for you ?” 

“Perfect.” 

He drops the book and glasses next to his phone and the clock and he settles down more comfortably next to me. He sleeps on his back, which allows me to cuddle with him easily, and neither of us needs much time to fall asleep. 

When the alarm rings in the morning, waking me up abruptly, I realize the bed is empty, and cold. Gerald is nowhere in the room, and I slam my hand on the clock button so it stops ringing in my ear. I stretch in the bed and wonder where he might have vanished. I can’t hear the shower running, and wonder if maybe he is in the kitchen, already having breakfast. I get up, and walk up to the futuristic kitchen, but find no one in there. However, there is a handwritten note on the table, and it draws my attention. 

_ Elena,  _

_ This evening and night with you was truly one of a kind. I am sorry I can’t be there for when you wake up, but duty called early, and I had to run to my office. I will try my best to come back say goodbye to you before you leave, but I can’t guarantee I will manage to do so.  _

_ Help yourself for breakfast, load the dishes in the dishwasher, take another shower if you want to.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ About us… I have been thinking a lot, and I have been reflecting on what we said yesterday. I want another date with you, I want it like crazy. But my lifestyle is hectic, and I am despicable. If you think you can still give me a chance despite that, my personal cellphone number is at the back of the card. If you don’t think this would suit you, I understand, and thank you for this moment we shared.  _ __  
_  
_ __ G.D. 

I chuckle and check he actually wrote down his number at the back of the card. He did. And added a smiley face next to it. It makes me laugh and I put the card in the pocket of his shirt that I am still wearing. I open the fridge to find something to eat for breakfast and decide myself for some yoghurts and a glass of orange juice. It should be enough for the day. I also make myself some tea, and get startled by the feeling of some fur between my calves. it’s Boris, coming to see why I am still there, and if I am as friendly as he thinks I am. 

“I’d love to pet you.” I say to the cat “But I won’t take any chances of making an allergic reaction, especially not before going to work. But you are a very nice pet.” 

I sit down at the table and take my breakfast rapidly, watched attentively by Boris who sat in front of me, keeping an eye on every single of my moves. I put the dishes in the dishwasher, throw the empty yoghurts pots in the trash and go back to the bedroom to pick up my clothes and get dressed. I am on time for work, and I transfer the note from Gérald from his shirt pocket into my jeans pocket, to not forget and lose it. When I pick up my top from the floor, I realise it is creased, and it does not look professional enough. I can’t go to the office like that. Especially since I will already be wearing the exact same clothes as yesterday. I sigh and resolve myself to do the only possible thing : borrow something from Gerald’s closet. And I hope he won’t hate me for it. I open the doors of his wardrobe and find a pile of t-shirts that don’t look too large. I pick up a black one, v-cut at the neck, mid-length sleeves, but when I pass it on, it looks more like a dress than a proper t-shirt. I grab the lower hem, twist it and tie a knot, like women sometimes do with their shirts, and it already looks much better on me. Acceptable for work at least. I get back to the entrance of the apartement and find an elastic for my hair in my bag, since Gerald left with mine still on his wrist in the morning. I tie my hair up in a ponytail, and look at myself in the mirror : I look good, and I look beaming. Which makes no surprise given the night I just had. Before leaving, I take my phone and save Gerald’s number. I send him a text immediately. 

Elena : I am about to leave, I don’t mind about your hectic life and I don’t believe you are despicable. I want a second date with you, Gerald. I borrowed a t-shirt from you, I hope you don’t mind, my top was too creased to look acceptable for work. Talk to you later, I hope. - E 

“I don’t mind.” says a voice in my back 

I had not heard him approach and it makes me jump in fear to feel him so close to me. Gerald wraps both his arms around my waist, from behind, and he kisses me in the neck. 

“Good morning, Elena. I am sorry I wasn’t here for breakfast.” 

“It’s okay. I get that you have professional obligations.” I reply “I can handle the hectic lifestyle.” 

“You look good in my clothes.” he adds “Can I kiss you before you go ?” 

“Okay, but quickly, or I’ll be late.” 

I turn around and put my arms around his neck, kissing him with passion. We have to use a lot of strength to pull out of each other’s arms, and it feels really strange to feel so connected to each other after only one dinner and one night together. 

“Let me walk you back to the security booth.” he says opening the door for me “I want to make sure they make no trouble to you.” 

“I am a big girl, Gerald. I can take care of myself.” I answer “Go back to work, let’s not expose me too much, okay ?” 

“Please ?” 

“Gerald, I really have to go.” I sigh “Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.” 

I steal one last kiss from his lips and escape him before he gets the idea to follow me. I remember the way to the exit and notice the security booth by the door. I knock on the glass door and one of Gerlad’s bodyguard opens it for me. 

“Good morning,” I start “I’d like to pick up my driving license before I go.” 

“Sure.” nods one of the men in the booth “Miss… Elena ?” he says picking up the driving license in the box in front of him and looking down at it 

“That’s me.” 

He gives it back to me and I put it back in my pocket. I wish them a good day and am about to leave when another question comes to my mind : 

“Will I have to give you an ID everytime I come here ?” I question 

“Of course.” answers the oldest of the men present who also seems to be the chief “No one enters without being identified.”

“No one ? Really ?” 

“Well, only the Minister’s official partner, of course.” he says rolling his eyes 

“And after how many dates will you consider me as an ‘official partner’ ?” 

He is blown away by my boldness and the bodyguards look at each other and then back at me. 

“Does it mean we should expect to see you back ?” asks one of them 

“Oh yes.” I smirk “But that doesn’t answer my question. How many dates until you give me free access here ?” 

“I don’t know…” says the boss suddenly uneasy “We have never really been facing this situation. Usually an official partner has to be in a stable, long-term established relationship. I guess… I guess ten dates would be a good start.” 

He scratches the back of his head and I smile. 

“Deal.” I joke “Ten dates with your boss, and I get an access pass for here. Have a nice day gentlemen !” 

As the door closes slowly in my back I hear one of them asks his colleague : 

“Was she wearing one of the boss’ t-shirts ?” 

I grin and go take my bus to go to work. Yes, I am wearing one of Gerald’s t-shirts, and yes, it fits me oddly, but I don’t care. The memory of this night is engraved forever in my memory, and the promise of many more to come is warming my heart. I don’t know where this is going to lead us, or if it will even lead us somewhere, but this accidental meet in a restaurant yesterday did us both good. And I slept like a baby in his arms. I slept rocked by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and the warmth of his arms around me. And it felt right. I feel my phone buzzing in my pocket and I smile at the message I just received : 

G.D. : I hope security did not cause you any trouble. I just checked my agenda, what about Thursday night for our second date ? 

Thursday. In four days. That should be manageable. I type a quick answer as I arrive to work, looking forward already to what might happen next time. 


	2. Second date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again ! Elena and Gerald are having a second date, a few days after their first meet and their first night together...   
> Don't forget to let me know after your reading what you thought about it !

I enter the restaurant in a hurry, checking my wristwatch for the tenth time at least in the last two minutes. I am late. I am late for my second date with Gerald and I feel mortified about it. He is waiting for me in the lobby, arms crossed on his chest, and his smile enlarges when he sees me. 

“I am so sorry.” I say immediately “This is entirely my fault.” 

“It’s fine, Elena.” he replies, kissing me on the cheek and discreetly touching my hand “It happens. It will happen to me more than once because of work, you’ll see.” 

“I feel mortified nonetheless. But I’m here now. And eager to have that second date with you.” 

He grins and we are brought to a quiet, isolated table by a waiter. I nod discreetly at Gerald’s security officers, seated nearby. The restaurant is a high-standing parisian style brasserie, chosen by my partner. He texted me the directions earlier today, after keeping a very low profile since our first night together. We only exchanged a couple of texts, not much, but both of us were looking forward to being face to face to talk to each other. Gerald places his phone on the table, between us, face up, and he says to me with an apologetic look : 

“I might receive a couple of urgent texts or calls tonight, I hope you don’t mind. You know that duty never really stops when you’re Interior Minister.” 

“I know,” I nod “and I don’t mind. Did you have a good day ?” 

“A quiet one at the office, which is a nice change.” he chuckles “I don’t get to spend many days at the office lately, and I missed that. What about you, how was your day ?” 

“Mostly okay.” I answer, interrupted by the waiter bringing us two menus “But the highlight of my day is this dinner with you.” I add once the waiter is gone “I kept thinking of that crazy night we had the other day, and yes it was silly, but I don’t regret it.” 

Gerald doesn’t answer, but he smiles. This genuine display of happiness quickly disappears as a series of incoming texts arrive on his phone and he checks them out rapidly. He decides not to answer them right away, but I can see that he is preoccupied. I hope this won’t ruin our dinner. He gives a glance at the menu in front of him and asks me : 

“What are you going to eat ?” 

“No idea.” I reply “I’m not overly hungry anyway. What about you ?” 

“Do you eat oysters ?” he questions, lifting up his gaze towards me 

“I do.” 

“Then, since they have some on their menu, why don’t we share some oysters for starters, and that will give us more time to choose our main course ?” 

“Deal.” I grin in response “Now the very important question, and beware, I will judge you on your answer : white wine or sparkling wine with the oysters ?” 

He looks at me, trying to find the trick in my question, but I stare at him without revealing what is the answer I expect. I crossed my hands under my chin and I wait. 

“White wine.” he says 

“Correct.” I chuckle “Actually, both would do, but I wanted to see how you would react.” 

He smiles and his hand brushes against mine on the table. This brief contact is enough to let me know that this little joke was amusing for him, and that he found it cute. He orders the oysters, and I select the wine, and the waiter promises to come back in no time with our food. 

“At what time do you have to go to work tomorrow ?” he asks me 

“I took a day off.” 

“Oh.” he reacts “So you don’t have any obligation in the morning ? And you can spend the night with me ?” 

I bite my lip and try not to cringe. Yes, yes I’d love to spend the night with him. But I can’t. Not on the terms he wants at least. My silence must strike him, because I see him frown slightly and I have to explain myself : 

“I would spend the night with you but…” 

I stop for a second to let the waiter place the tray of oysters and our glasses of wines on the table, and when he’s gone I pick up my sentence where I left it : 

“But we would not be able to enjoy it the same way we did the last time.” 

I blush heavily, and avoid looking at him, smelling the wine instead. 

“What do you mean ?” 

“I mean no sex. It’s… the bad week.” 

“Well,” he says tapping on my hand to grab my attention and force me to look up at him “I guess we could still sleep together. Especially since…” he draws a magnetic card from his suit pocket and smirks “I booked us a room. No security to deal with, no cat to disturb us, no weird kitchen… Just you and me. If this feels okay for you, obviously.” 

“If that… Oh… Wow…”

I am speechless. Gerald really did think about everything to make this date perfect. And that hotel reservation is an added gesture that, with no doubt, made his security hate me a little bit more. 

“I mean,” I say clearing my throat “yes, of course.” 

A quiet sigh of relief escapes his lips and he puts the hotel room card back in his pocket. He shows me the tray of oysters and I take one to start eating. It has been a long time since I had some, but I really enjoy them, and they remind me of summer memories. We share the oysters and I open up about those memories, and I try to ignore Gerald’s phone buzzing more and more often under our noses. Before we look back at the menus for the main course, I question my partner : 

“Gerald, are you sure you don’t want to answer any of those messages ? That seems pretty important given your face.” 

“It can wait.” he asserts “I will answer them later.” 

“As you wish. But I won’t get mad, or run away, if you take a few minutes to answer some texts, or pick up a call.” 

“You are the first woman ever to tell me this.” he notes “It feels good to hear it. Even if after the third phone call you will beg me not to pick up any more.” 

“We’ll see about that.” 

I smirk and focus on my menu, choosing something to eat for dinner. I hesitate between a tartare steak and a rossini one, but finally decide myself on the rossini tournedos. I announce my choice to Gerald who says he’ll take the same. 

“Red wine ?” he suggests 

“Yes, for sure. Do you want to choose ? Or do you trust me enough to do so ?”

“You picked an excellent one for the starters,” he replies “I trust you entirely for the main course.” 

I inspect the wine list and decide myself for one from the Rhone valley. The waiter comes back to take our orders, and I am about to say something to Gerald when he’s gone but my partner’s phone starts buzzing on the table. 

“I have to take that one.” he says with an enigmatic smile seizing his phone and picking up the call

I expect him to walk away to be able to talk more freely but he stays at the table, and winks at me. 

“Yes, Emmanuel…” he says to the caller “No… No I haven’t… I will do that… Can we talk about that tomorrow ? I’m having dinner right now, and I’m not alone… Yes (he chuckles)... Yes I will…Bye.” 

Gerald hangs up and says to me : 

“Emmanuel wishes us to have a very good evening.” 

“Was that… ?” I ask 

“Oh yes, it was the President.” nods Gerald “He wanted my opinion on some important matter, but it can wait for tomorrow.” 

“Have you told anyone else that you were seeing someone ?” I wonder 

“No.” he says, shaking his head “Oh, I might have let escaped that in a conversation with my mother, yesterday. But she is too smart to pick it up. She’ll know I will talk about it when I feel ready. Have you told anyone ?” 

“That I had a date with the Interior Minister ?” I react “No. Absolutely not. And I don’t intend to let anyone know about it.” 

“Fine for me.” 

We pause for a second as our plates are brought to us, alongside our glasses of wine and I add after that : 

“I need to clarify something with you, but I don’t want to ruin our dinner…” 

“It seems to be bothering you,” he frowns “tell me.” 

“Are we… Is it…” 

I blush as I am looking for my words. Gerald’s gaze is troubling me and I take a sip of wine to give me a bit more strength. 

“Are we exclusive with each other ?”

“Would you mind if we weren’t ?” he replies 

“Gerald,” I sigh “you don’t get to answer a question by another question. That’s unfair.” 

“I haven’t seen anyone since our last date, and I didn’t ask myself about what was going to happen next, honestly.” he says “But I feel great when I am with you, and I told you already that I don’t want to be that despicable man anymore. I changed, and maybe it is time for me to have a stable relationship. And not flirt here and there.” 

“It does not really answer my question.” I point out 

“Yes. We’re exclusive.” he tells me “I am dating you, and no one else.” 

I smile so hard that my jaw hurts, and it makes him laugh softly. 

“Did you had your views on someone else ?” I enquire nonetheless 

“Not really.” he says to me “Not someone I would ever make a move towards anyway. And you are much more interesting.” 

“I hope I am,” I smile “we would not be having this second date otherwise.” 

“What about you ? Did I enter your life while you were maybe interested in someone else ?”

“No. Not really.” I admit as we start eating "And no one could ever be more interesting than you are."

He grins and I smile at him. We are on the same wavelength. And once again, we don’t need much words to understand each other. While we eat, Gerald answers a couple of urgent texts, and I give him this moment of peace to focus on business. I know I can’t ask him about his work, nor what seems to be bothering him. But I do hope he knows he can talk to me if he wants to. 

“Gerald ?” I say to grab his attention “Are you okay ? Something seems to be taking your mind away from our dinner.” 

“I’m sorry. Business as usual.” he brushes off “If we pursue our relationship in the long term, you will see that this is a constant shift from work to more pleasant… affairs.” 

“Affairs ? Pleasant affairs ?” I joke “This is how you see me ?” 

“I see you as way more than that.” he smiles “By the way, I don’t want to freak you out, but does the term ‘girlfriend’ frightens you ?” 

“Not at all.” I reply “If that’s how you want to talk about me, then please do.” 

“That is exactly what I want to do.” 

I stopped eating for a moment and he takes my hand which was resting on the table in his. He intertwines our fingers and looks down at our hands. His thumb is calmly stroking the back of my hand, making us both smile. 

“You know that I will always lend an attentive ear to whatever is bothering you, right ?” I say after a sip of wine “I guess that’s what girlfriends are supposed to do, but more than that, I really don’t like when you’re frowning like that : there’s a tiny wrinkle in the middle of your forehead and it doesn’t suit you. You look much younger and much more handsome when you are smiling.” 

“Do I ?” he smirks 

“Yes, you do. I might be weak for your smile, Gerald.” 

He smiles at me, and says : 

“Thank you for being understanding and attentive. I know I am not offering you the perfect boyfriend-experience, but I am doing my best to make it feel as normal as possible.” 

“I have never been attracted to normality.” I reply “Casual is boring, and I am okay with yo-…” 

I’m stopped mid-sentence by his phone buzzing again and he sighs, removing his hand from mine. He gives me an apologetic look, tells me that he is done with his meal and that the waiter can remove his plate if he wants, and he grabs his phone, walking away to answer it. Two of his officers stood up to follow him, at a reasonable distance, and I watch the scene unfold as I finish my own plate. The waiter comes to clear our plates, and he brings back the menus for us to choose desserts, but Gerald is still on the phone, in a quiet corner of the restaurant, closely watched by his bodyguards. Yes, it is not an ideal situation, but I know that Gerald and I will spend the whole night together, and this is a perspective to look forward to. Gerald eventually comes back to me, apologizing profusely. 

“I said it was fine for me.” I reply “I won’t ever hold you accountable for your work.” 

“Thank you.” he nods “You really are one of a kind.” 

“I am trying to be reasonable. I think you are worth it, I want to believe that you are worth those tiny sacrifices.” 

I smile at him and we both look at the menus to see if we want to eat something for dessert. I don’t feel like eating a whole one and I suggest : 

“Maybe we could split one ? Unless you’re really hungry ?” 

“Splitting suits me.” he says “Do you want something in particular ? Cheesecake ? Ice-cream ? Chocolate mousse ?”

“Chocolate mousse.” I pick “If that’s okay with you.” 

“Perfect choice,” he says to me “you have excellent tastes, Elena.” 

We order the dessert with two spoons and keep talking in the meantime. Gerald interrogates me on my hobbies, and I happily answer him. We talk about reading and writing, and he shares his own tastes in literature as well. We keep talking over dessert, and tea, and I discover him to be unstoppable about French authors from the 20th century while I am much more into older classics. But what brings us back on common grounds is our common love for french songs, and the richness of our culture. We are drawn back from our discussion by the phone of my partner, buzzing again under our nose. 

“Oh, for heaven’s sake !” he swears looking at the text he just received “Well, that can wait until tomorrow. And I think it’s time for us to go, I am very eager to be alone in a room with you.” 

“Oh, really ?” I tease 

I grab my bag and my jacket while he goes to pay for our meal and we go out of the restaurant. He immediately notices that I shiver from the wind blowing outside and he removes his jacket, throwing it around my shoulders. 

“I would hate for you to catch a cold.” he whispers to me “And I love the idea of you wearing my jacket.” 

We walk up to the car waiting for us and climb aboard, followed closely by Gerald’s bodyguards. Two of them climb aboard with us, keeping us from really being ourselves inside the car. I still have my boyfriend’s jacket around my shoulders and I feel that I am blushing because of it : it smells like Gerald, and I am surrounded by his scent and warmth. His hand brushes against mine on the seat between us, and we exchange a glance, in silence. I bite my lip, resisting the urge that I have to kiss him. I suddenly feel very attracted towards his lips and if it had not been for the two gorillas sitting with us, I would probably have jumped on him right on the back seat of this car. And it strikes me suddenly that it is only our second date, and that I am already too hooked on him. The car stops in front of an hotel and Gerald updates his security team before we go out : 

“Elena and I are going upstairs, I want no more than two men in the corridors of the hotel, one in the lobby, maximum. You came with me earlier, I trust you on staying efficient and very very discreet. No one must know I am here. Understood ?” 

“Yes, Sir.” nods the chief of security “At what time are we leaving tomorrow ?”

“I don’t know. We’ll see.” shrugs my partner taking my hand in his “Have a good night, gentlemen.” 

“Good night.” I tell them, following Gerald out of the car 

He resolutely walks without looking behind his back, and he drags me along with him. 

“Are you sure holding my hand in public is the smartest idea ?” I ask 

“Does it bother you ?” he frowns, ready to let go of me if necessary 

“It’s not that…” I sigh “But…” 

I glance behind me towards the street and my hand slips out of his. 

“We never know who might be watching. And we agreed on keeping a low-profile for now. I mean, we’re already walking in a hotel together, with me wearing your jacket…” 

I chuckle nervously and he nods. We’d better be careful, just in case. We enter into the hotel, and he shows me the way to the elevators. We are still followed by one of Gerald’s security officers and he has no other choice but to follow us into the elevator, keeping us once again from having a bit of privacy. In the elevator, I give Gerald his jacket back, letting my fingers brush against his hand for far longer than necessary. I blush, he smiles back at me and we don’t feel the need to use words to communicate. Between us, everything feels so easy, so obvious, as if it was an evidence. 

“Enjoy your evening.” says the bodyguard stepping aside when the elevator doors open to let us walk away to our room 

“Thank you.” I reply to him 

“Thanks.” says Gerald 

I follow him to our room and he unlocks the door with the magnetic key he has in his pocket. He holds the door open for me and I step inside the room. I feel his arm wrap around my waist and hear the door slam shut in our back, his lips already kissing the back of my neck. 

“Finally alone !” he exclaims “I have been waiting for this moment all evening. I want to kiss you, Elena. Your lips are calling me, and I have been very distracted by them during our dinner. You’re driving me insane.” 

“Then why are you still kissing my neck ?” I joke in response 

I want that kiss too, I want to feel his mouth against mine, I want to feel his tongue playing with mine. I want to feel his hands all over me, and the fire of passion igniting us. He grabs me by the hips and makes me turn on myself, facing him. I throw my arms around his neck and close the distance between us, kissing him as if he was my oxygen supply. He makes me step back until my back rests against the wall, still kissing me, one of his hand very low in my back, the other one on the back of my head, keeping me against his mouth. We only stop kissing for a few seconds to catch our breath, and immediately start kissing each other again, indifferent to our bodies pleading for more air. Gerald grabs my top to lift it above my head but I stop him and say : 

“Slow down, Gerald, I’m on my period, remember ? No sex for me tonight, as much as I’d love to…” 

“I don’t care,” he starts “I can fu-”

“No.” I cut him “I do care. I won’t have sex with you tonight.” 

He closes his eyes for a second to dismiss the deception and nods. I kiss him on the lips, and the temperature cools down a little bit between us. 

“But,” I whisper to him “I can still take care of you. And I intend to do just that.” 

“Elena,” he says calmly “don’t feel compelled to do anything. I desire you, I feel crazy about you, but I don’t need to be satisfied absolutely.” 

“What if I want to ?” I reply gazing into his brown eyes with a sparkle of maliciousness

“Do you ?”

“Yes, Gerald. I do. I want to hear you moan my name when you reach cloud nine, with your cock in my mouth.” 

“I-Hmm-Oh.” 

He chuckles nervously and a delicate pink colors his cheeks. I pull gently on his tie, and press my lips on his mouth. 

“Please, let me do.” I say 

“On two conditions.” he negotiates 

I keep myself from rolling my eyes and wait for him to push the negotiation further by exposing his conditions. 

“I still want to get you off your top, if you don’t mind. And I want to undo your ponytail, that one is non-negotiable.” 

I tilt my head slightly on the side so he can access my hairband and he removes it, making my hair fall down on my shoulders. He grins and I tell him : 

“What is it with the loose hair ? Does it really bother you that I keep them up ?” 

“No, I like your ponytail, it clears the oval of your face,” he answers tracing the shape of my face with the back of his hand “but in bed, I want to be able to hold you, entirely.” 

“Oh, so this is a power thing ? You want to be in control ?” 

“Yes.” he admits “Do you mind ?” 

“Not really,” I reply “I find that hot, in fact.” 

We look at each other and laugh. We really found each other. On so many points. I remove his tie from around his neck and throw it on the bed. He gets rid of his jacket and it takes the same path. My fingers are already busy opening the buttons of his shirt, and he lets me do, with a satisfied smile on his lips. I make it slide down his shoulders, and we let it fall down on the floor. He lifts my top above my head and drops it on the floor on top of his shirt, his hands sliding on my stomach and up towards my breasts. I remove my bra to give him a free access, and my arms come back around his neck. I kiss him below the ear, making him shiver as he lets his hands wander on my chest, his fingers lingering on my nipples, making them hard as a rock. 

“It feels so unfair to know that your nipples will be the only part of your body I will access tonight.” he groans in my ear 

“I know, I’ll try to make you forget about that.” 

I laugh softly and trail my way down his chest with kisses, ending up on my knees, stuck between him and the wall. His hand comes through my hair onto the back of my head and I open the buckle of his belt and the fly of his trousers. I lower it around his legs, kissing him on the thighs through the fabric of his mid-length boxers. His underwear have a retro style and I like that very much about him. He is hard in it, I can see it, and I can feel it underneath my fingers as I lay my hand on his crotch. 

“You are bewitching, Elena.” mutters Gerald looking down at me 

“I haven’t done anything to you, yet.” I protest “Wait at least until I have you naked to tell such things…” 

I smirk and plant a kiss on his cock, through the fabric of his underwear. My lips travel on his rod, up and down, exploring blindly, and I hear him exhale of pleasure already. His grip on my hair tightens a bit, and I take that as an invitation to go further. I finish to strip him down, and mark a second of hesitation facing his erect penis. 

“Do you… ?” I ask “I mean, I’m sure you have stashed condoms somewhere, since you planned on us having sex tonight.” 

“Do we really need to use one ?” he replies “I can swear I am clean regarding any kind of diseases…” 

“I want to trust you Gerald but…” 

I sigh, look up, and give up. I do trust him. And I don’t like sucking on a condom anyway. I part my lips and take his cock in my mouth, managing to accommodate two-third of his length. 

“Oh Lord !” he exclaims, placing his free hand against the wall to improve his balance “Your mouth is the most exquisite sensation ever, Elena.” 

This time, he pulls all of my hair up into his fist and tugs on them gently, to control how deep I am on him, and to keep them from falling into my face. Always in control. I withdraw from his rod a little bit, to breathe better, and inhale deeply through my nose. My tongue wraps around his flesh, following the path of a vein I feel pulsing fast and it makes him moan. I keep going up and down, enhancing the movements of my mouth with one of my hands, the other one placed on his arse, helping me keep my balance. He is not pushing me, but I feel the grip of his hand in my hair getting tighter and stronger. I am not sure he realizes how vocal he is, and I secretly hope that the rooms of this hotel are soundproof, otherwise our neighbours will know my name. I keep sucking him, using a few of my secret tricks, and I feel the pleasure rise in him until what he moans becomes gibberish. His balance is not as assured as it was before, and the way he holds my hair is less gentle, more powerful. I make myself a little bit more obedient, and I let him push my head further on his cock, fighting my gag reflex as best as I can. 

“Oh, Elena,” he groans “I feel so close ! You are the most indecently beautiful human being I ever encountered…” 

He smirks at me and his voice softens when he asks me : 

“May I keep going inside your mouth, my sweet girlfriend ?” 

I can’t answer because my mouth is full of his rod, but I nod imperceptibly, and my eyes do the talking for me. He smiles and withdraws slightly, to let me breathe better. I inhale, and resume the blowjob, determined not to stop until he ejaculates in my mouth. Less than a minute later, I feel and see his body stiffen and my mouth fills with his semen. He moans my name in a very indecent way, panting, needing a long time to catch his breath. I swallow in the meantime and lick his dick clean. 

“This was, by far, one of the best blowjob I ever received.” he mutters after a few minutes looking down towards me “Thank you, Elena.” 

“You’re welcome, Gerald.” 

I smile and he lets go of my hair, extending his hand for me to grab to help me get up on my feet. His arm immediately wraps around my waist, and his lips come on my mouth. 

“Thank you so much.” he whispers “Do you want to take a shower ?” 

“Yes,” I say “but alone, if you don’t mind.” 

“Of course.” he tells me “I’ll take mine later. Can I use the bathroom first, though ?” 

“Sure.” I chuckle 

He kisses me tenderly and vanishes into the bathroom behind me. I take advantage of this time to grab my bag to go into the bathroom after him. What we just did was insane, but delightful. He comes back into the bedroom and gets back into his underwear. 

“Take your time,” he says to me “I will answer a couple of work-related texts in the meantime.” 

“Are you certain to be in the appropriate mindset for this ?” I joke 

“My thoughts are clear,” he smirks “but I am eager to have you in my arms in the bed.” 

“I won’t be long.” 

I come back to him fifteen minutes later, wearing only my panties. I pick up his white shirt from the floor and see him arch an eyebrow at me over his glasses that he put back on his nose. 

“Do you have another one for tomorrow ?” I question 

“Yes, in the car. I’ll ask one of my men to bring it up.” he replies 

“Then you don’t mind if I wear it to sleep ?” 

“I don’t mind indeed.” 

I pass it around my shoulders and close only one button so it stays mostly open. I climb on the bed and kiss him on the lips briefly before lying down next to him, with my arms crossed behind my head, staring at the ceiling. He is still typing on his phone, and I know I have to give him a few minutes so that he can finish working. Then he’ll be mine again for the evening. Two minutes later he sighs, drops his cellphone on the bedside table, removes his glasses and turns to me. 

“Done with work for tonight,” he says “I can now enjoy this evening with you.” 

His hand find its way on my thigh and travels up to my lower back. He kisses me with passion but I stop him when I feel the temperature rise again between us. 

“Gerald,” I say, holding him at a reasonable distance with both of my hands on his chest “we can’t do that. Not tonight.” 

“I know.” he smiles “But kissing you is too delightful.” 

“You’re a hard man to resist, I admit.” I chuckle in response “Please, go take your shower, that will help you cool down a little bit.” 

“Sure you don’t want to come with me ?” 

“Yes, I’m sure.” 

“One day, I’ll convince you for a shower together.” 

“It’s only our second date, Gerald !” I exclaim as he gets off the bed to go into the bathroom “You will have plenty of occasions to convince me !” 

I hear him laugh next door, and I close my eyes for a little while during his shower. I must have fallen asleep for a moment because I get woken up by two powerful hands on my hips and playful lips in my neck. 

“It tickles !” I giggle, as my hand find its way into Gerald’s hair on the back of his head 

“Good,” he answers “your laugh is pure and adorable.” 

“Yours is sweet too.” 

He gets off of me and lies down in the bed, next to me. He gets on his back, and I snuggle next to him, my head on his chest, his arm around my shoulders. My hand is still playing with his hair, ruffling through the messy strands he has on top of his head and he frowns slightly : 

“Are you trying to tell me I need a haircut ?” 

“Oh, by all means, no !” I exclaim “I love your hair just as they are !” 

I smile at him and add : 

“In fact, I loved all the many different haircuts you had through the years… I think my favorite was the nearly buzzcut you had a few years ago, with very short dark hair. But having you with lighter, longer hair is beautiful too. And I get to play with them.” 

“I am glad you like them.” he smiles “Is there anything else you like about me ?” 

“Everything.” I say, planting a kiss on his chest “Your eyes are incredible, and I like to see them sparkle when I am around. I like the way you look at me, the way in which your eyes travel on my body, with no shame, the way you sometimes close your eyes for a brief seconds to keep your focus on what we are talking about because you are too disturbed by me talking...” 

“Wait,” he stops me “you have noticed all of this in only two dates ?” 

“And two evenings together.” I add “I tend to notice little details.” 

“I see that.” he chuckles “This is cute.” 

“And you,” I ask “what do you like about me ?” 

“Your lips are mesmerizing.” he admits “But your eyes are by far the best feature about you…” 

His hand comes on my cheek, and his thumb calmly strokes it, as he gazes into my eyes, falling silent for a few seconds. 

“I can read a lot of unspoken words into your eyes, Elena.” he says to me “And I feel like communication between us is eased by this. By the non-constant need for words.” 

“I agree. And I feel good with you. With some of my previous boyfriends there were those awkward silences, those moments when none of us knew what to say to each other… With you, the silence does not feel heavy, it just feels… blissful.” 

“I am so glad we get to spend some time together.” he sighs with a happy smile on his face “Those two dinner-dates have been the happiest moments I have spent in a very long time.” 

“So, you don’t regret offering me that beer a few days ago ?”

“That might have been the best decision of my life.” he grins “Time will tell.” 

I am about to answer something very clever but I yawn instead which makes him laugh. 

“Maybe we should consider sleeping, princess.” 

“Princess ?” I react arching an eyebrow at him 

“That came to me on an impulse, but we don’t have to keep that.” 

“Yes, please, I’m by no mean a princess. But I like cute pet names.” 

“Good.” he replies, kissing me on the forehead “I don’t mind them either. But not in public.” 

“Noted. Not in public.” 

I chuckle and we kiss each other calmly for a very long time, our lips doing the talking for us. I then settle for sleep, and he settles in my back, both arms around my waist, his head in my neck. 

“Sleep well my sweet Elena.” he whispers into my ear “I am lucky to be sharing your bed tonight.” 

“Hmm.” I answer, half-asleep already “I feel lucky too, Gerald. Good night.” 

I am woken up on the following morning by the smell of fresh pastries and the sound of water in the bathroom next door. I open my eyes and roll in the empty bed. There is a tray with a double breakfast on the desk nearby, and I get up to look for Gerald. I find him in the bathroom, shaving in front of the mirror. He spots me in the glass in front of him and grins through the shaving foam, his razor in hand. 

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” 

“I thought we agreed on no princess-related names ?” I answer, crossing my arms as I lean against the doorframe 

“Grumpy in the mornings, Miss Elena ?” 

“Only when I wake up in an empty bed.” I tease him “How long have you been up ?” 

“About an hour,” he shrugs, continuing to shave “my phone kept buzzing and it was bothering me. And I was afraid it would wake you up.” 

“What about the breakfasts ?” 

“Courtesy of the hotel. And my security agents : they don’t want us to go downstairs to have breakfast with the other clients. They brought my toiletries and a change of clothes upstairs as well, hence the shaving.” 

“Do you always have toiletries in your car ?” 

“Yes, in case I have to go on an emergency trip somewhere. Same for the change of clothes.” 

He finished shaving, and he grabs a clean towel to wipe the remaining foam from his face. He turns to me and I approach him, letting my hand slide on his clean-shaven cheek. 

“You look amazing,” I whisper “how long do we have until you have to run back to work ?” 

“I have a cabinet meeting in an hour and a half, sweetheart.” he says “I am all yours until then.” 

“Good. I’m starving, but I need to use the restroom first, if you don’t mind.” 

“Yes, of course.” 

He plants a soft kiss on my lips and leaves me in the bathroom, closing the door behind him. I join him ten minutes later, after freshening up a bit. I notice that he is still wearing my hairband around his wrist, and I take his arm between my fingers to pick up the elastic so I can pull my hair up into a ponytail. I feel better with my hair up, and I sit on the bed to have breakfast with Gerald. He brings the tray in between us and sits down in front of me. He is still only wearing his boxers, and I smirk at the idea that he had to open the door like that to his security officers this morning. 

“Why are you laughing ?” he asks me 

“Because your bodyguards must have looked at you in a very weird way if you opened the door wearing only your boxers.” 

“They don’t mind.” he replies “They are trying to obliviate it, actually.” he corrects himself “But yes, this is a bit disturbing for them, not that they doubt for one second that we had sex, and slept together in this bed.” 

This time, I blush heavily, and pick up a croissant to hide my embarrassment. Gerald is right : his whole security team knows for a fact that I am willingly giving myself to their boss, and given his reputation, they must think very little of me. Especially since Gerald brought me in his bed on our very first date, only a few hours after we met. 

“Elena ?” he says “What’s wrong ?” 

“I don’t want to appear as an ‘easy girl’...” I shrug “But I guess it’s a bit too late for that.” 

“Who cares ?” he replies, placing a finger underneath my chin to force me to look up at him “Who cares what other people might think ? I am glad we gave ourselves to each other on our first night. We are adults, we wanted to, and I don’t think we are having remorses, am I wrong ?” 

“No, not really.” I pout 

“Then, please,” he continues “smile for me. And eat your croissant, you told me you were starving.” 

It makes me smile a little bit and I trap his fingers between mine, bringing them to my lips for a soft kiss before letting go. He smiles and we keep eating in silence. Like we discussed yesterday, it does not feel awkward, it just feels like the most normal thing to do, and we enjoy our breakfast, with the morning light peeking through the window. Paris is still peaceful at this hour of the morning, and nothing could be better in this instant than to be with him. 

“What are your plans for today ?” he asks me 

“I haven’t made up my mind entirely yet, but since the sun is shining, I might consider going out for a photography trip.” 

“Interesting,” he comments “where ?” 

“I have had my views on a park in the Bercy neighbourhood for quite some time, or maybe the Saint-Germain area. What do you recommend ?”

“You know my heart still beats for Bercy.” he laughs “There are a lot of nice places to see there, even though I haven’t had much time to explore when I was working in the Ministry.” 

“Bercy it will be then.” I decide “I might even pass by the Ministry to shoot a few pictures.” 

“Photography is a solid passion of yours, I see ?” 

“Yes,” I admit “I am trying to make the best of my time on the outsides.” 

“Will you show me some of your pictures ?” he asks with a little smile 

“Maybe, yes.” I answer, blushing a little, surprised that he is interested in seeing them “By the way, when do you think will be our next date ?” 

“Not this weekend, unfortunately.” he sighs loudly “I have a planned trip to the South-West of France.” 

“Oh.” I reply “Next week, then ? Maybe you could free a few hours for me in your very busy schedule ?” 

“Let me check what I can do.” 

He seizes his phone and opens the calendar on it, checking his schedule for the week to come. I see him become paler and he bites his lower lip until a small smile finally illuminates his face. 

“Tuesday ?” he suggests “I should be able to free my evening for sure, and not finish too late in the afternoon. I will be at the office all day, anyway.”

“I finish at three thirty on Tuesdays, do you think I could come straight after work ?” 

“I won’t be done, but I will arrange with security to grant you access to the apartment.” he grins “You’ll wait for me there.” 

“Do I plan on staying for the night ?” I smirk 

“Only if you want to.” 

“Yes, of course I do !” I laugh 

I lean over the empty tray of our breakfast and kiss him with passion, and if it wasn’t for that tray, he’d probably make me fall on the bed to take his own shirt off my shoulders. I giggle and he stops kissing me on the mouth to kiss me in the neck. 

“You are playing a dangerous game, dear.” I say “You know that none of us is really able to control our desire.” 

“I know.” he whispers “But I like to play with fire.” 

“Icarus burned his wings when he flew too close to the sun you know.” 

“If you are the sun, then I’ll burn again and again by flying too close to you.” 

“Don’t be silly, I am no sun, and I don’t want you to get burned.” 

He comes back to kiss me on the mouth and then he gets up, removing the tray from our bed. He drops his phone on it, and comes back to me with a playful smile on his lips. 

“Your smile looks dirty,” I say to him “what do you have in mind ?” 

“Taking advantage of the time we have left together.” he answers

“Is this really reasonable, Gerald ?”

“I don’t fucking care !” 

He kisses me, taking me by the hips and making me fall down on the bed. He straddles me and he keeps kissing me in the neck, making me shiver from head to toe. One of my hand plays with his hair on the back of his head, the other one finds a resting place in the bottom of his back. I accidentally scratch his skin with my nails and he groans of discomfort. 

“I’m sorry.” I immediately apologize “But for my defense, you initiated this between us…” 

“Do I need to tie you up to the bed, Elena ?” he smirks 

“Would that turn you on ?” I tease him 

“Of course it would,” he replies “but you might not be ready for that kind of fun just yet.” 

“Oh, I am more than you think.” 

I gave him a daring glance and he nods. He opens the button holding my shirt close and I help him make it slide down my shoulders. I am, once again, wearing only my panties, but this is with no shame that I am exposing my body to him. 

“Give me your hands.” he orders me softly 

I extend my arms and he binds my wrists together with the sleeves of the shirt, tying the knot tightly enough for me not to be able to undo it on my own. He helps me put my arms above my head, leaning over me in the process, and he whispers in my ear : 

“You are obedient and daring, I like that !” 

“I am also rebellious sometimes,” I smirk “but not today. Please, do what you have in mind. Anything below waist is still off-limits though.” 

“Understood.” he nods 

I can not move underneath him, and I am forced to trust my partner entirely. I close my eyes, relying on my sensations to further enjoy what he is doing to me. His soft lips are travelling down my throat, his hands sliding down my chest and finding their place on my waist. His mouth stops on my right nipple, trapping the flesh between his lips, his tongue circling the hard tip. I moan his name, and my body arch on the bed. His hand immediately travels back up to keep my wrists pinned on the mattress and he laughs. 

“Keep still.” he says to me “Please.” 

“I’m trying !” I exclaim “But this feels too good.” 

“Oh, does it ?” 

He grins and sucks again on my nipple, releasing my wrists to tease my other nipple with his other hand. He pinches it between his fingers, his hand cupping my breast and I gasp. I feel the pleasure rising in me, and the skills of my partner are driving me insane. But we can’t let things go further : I forbade him to go lower on me, and we don’t have time to fully get on with it. But it feels too good. And I keep moaning, louder and louder. Gerald eventually travels lower, kissing his way down on my stomach. He stops at the waistband of my knickers, raising his eyes towards me. 

“No, Gerald.” I say, using all my strength “I want it as much as you, but neither of us has time to take a shower afterwards, and I am not sure a bloodbath on our second date is a memory you want to make.” 

“Fine.” he sighs “Won’t you be too frustrated ?” 

“It’s okay. What about you ?” 

“I’m used to frustrations.” he chuckles “And…” he checks the time on his cellphone “end of our shenanigans for this morning, my dear. Or I’ll be late.” 

“Then you need to untie me.” 

“Do I really have to ? I like the idea of having you offered like that…Tied on the bed like you are right now…"

He gets up and starts looking through the bag brought by his team earlier for clean clothes. He piles them up on the bed and I tell him : 

"Come on, don't play stupid, untie me, Gerald."

But he ignores me and removes his boxers to get into a fresh pair of underwear. Green boxers, then his black socks, black suit trousers, a white shirt, his belt, a grey tie and his jacket. He only then looks up to me, still tied up and nearly naked on the bed. His eyes detail me for a long time and I feel myself blushing, looking away from such scrutiny. His gaze is both arousing and unsettling, but this is a game I would play everyday with him if the opportunity was given to me. 

"You truly are a wonder, Elena. A creature of God…" he says, sitting on the edge of the bed and finally untying my wrists 

"Why did you keep me tied up ?" 

"It pleased me," he says "and I needed to know if you'd rebel." 

"You are a weird man, Gerald."

"I'm sorry." 

A sparkle of shame shines in his eyes and I sit up in the bed to take his face in my hands. I look at him straight in the eyes and rest my forehead against his own. 

"I think I am falling for you, Gerald." I whisper "I am addicted to you, and I feel like we have something to live…" 

"It is a beautiful addiction." he says adding his hand on top of mine on his right cheek "And even if this is early, I am starting to develop feelings for you, Elena. I never felt like this about any other woman before. Ever, in my entire life." 

"Maybe it's a good thing we found each other then." I smile 

He smiles back at me and our lips find each other for a kiss full of promises. Gerald reluctantly breaks our embrace, having to go to work. He grabs his keys and phone, his glasses, shoves his dirty clothes into his bag, he steals another kiss from my lips and he leaves, making me promise to send him a text when I leave the hotel. I stay seated on the bed for a long time, half naked, reflecting on what happened between us, a huge grin on my face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo ? What did you think of that chapter ? Aren't they extra-cute ? What about the way Elena accepts Gerald's hectic lifestyle ? The way they are at ease with each other, a little bit shy in public but completely wild behind closed doors ? The sex scenes ? The cute talks on the pillows ? The fact that they are already starting to develop feelings for each other ? How will their third date go according to you ?


	3. Tensions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please guys, if you enjoy this fiction, don't hesitate to leave a comment, either long or small. I always answer all comments and take great pleasure reading them :) 
> 
> If you're shy, I'm also available on my Insta account @political_thirst you can Dm me there if you prefer ;) Or on twitter @Ao3Groovehigh

I jump in fear on the bed when I see the furry paw of Boris appear in front of my laptop screen as I was busy typing on it. 

“Damn it !” I swear “You scared me.” I tell the cat “I know you’re bored, I know you miss Gérald, I miss him too. But he said he’ll be there soon.” 

Gerald indeed sent me a text ten minutes ago, apologizing for not having been able to meet me yet, but he has a busy afternoon of meetings, phone calls, and some work to do in his office. I told him it was okay, and that I’ll do like we agreed : wait for him in his apartment until he’s free for me. I brought my laptop and I am working on one of my fanfictions, to pass time. Boris, the cat, came to keep me company as soon as I arrived, and he lied down on the bed behind my laptop, so silent that I almost forgot his presence. He meows loudly and comes to me, looking for cuddles. I stop typing and caresses his back. This time, I thought about taking my allergy medicine in advance, and I know I can touch the animal without any problem. Boris keeps meowing, visibly trying to tell me something, but I’m struggling to understand him. 

“What’s wrong ? Are you hungry ? Thirsty ?” 

I get up from the bed, leaving my laptop open and I walk to the kitchen. I don’t know if Boris is crying for food, but I am hungry, and I also need some tea to fuel my thoughts. The cat follows me and he stops in front of his empty water bowl. He looks up at me, and places his paw on the edge of the bowl, still looking at me. 

“You’re a clever beast,” I say “I’m going to give you water.” 

I fill his bowl and put some water to boil for myself while I wash my hands. Now I need to look in the cupboards, or fridge for something to snack on. Ten minutes later, I finally sit down, with an apple and a yoghurt : a very modest treasure I found in the appalling fridge of my boyfriend. He has nothing in the fridge, and very few in his cupboards and I wonder how he intends on us having dinner here tonight. Unless he plans on taking me out for dinner. Which is probably what he planned anyway. He stayed very secretive about today, and as usual, we didn’t talk much in-between our dates. I throw away the core of my apple, the empty pot of my yoghurt, put the spoon in the dishwasher and prepare my mug of tea. I leave it on the countertop while I take a quick bathroom break. I take it back with me when I come back five minutes later, and I go back to the bedroom to resume my writing work. I nearly drop my mug on the floor when I see Gerald in the room, one knee on the bed, busy reading the document I left open on my laptop. His expression is cold, and he’s biting his lower-lip, nervously. 

“Enjoying your reading ?” I say to make myself noticed 

“Hmm ?” he replies, turning his head towards me “Oh, good afternoon, Elena. How long have you been standing there ?” 

“I should be the one asking that question. When did you arrive ?” 

“About five minutes ago,” he brushes off “I followed Boris, I thought he was going to lead me to you.” 

“And you decided that reading on my laptop was better than looking for me ?” 

I place my mug on the bedside table behind him and escape his arms, ready to wrap around my waist. I grab my laptop and shut it off. I feel betrayed, and a bit ashamed by the fact he read this without my permission. 

“What’s wrong ?” he asks me, taking my chin between his fingers to force me look up at him 

“I don’t like the idea of you reading my fanfictions without me knowing.” 

“Don’t worry,” he snorts “given the steamy passage I stumbled upon, I’m not going to read anything you write ever again. Seriously though, Emmanuel and Edouard ?” 

“Yes, seriously. There’s a readership for political fanfictions you know.” 

He looks at me in disbelief and lets go of me. We haven’t exchanged a kiss, neither a sweet gesture since he arrived, and I don’t see why anything would go differently now that we’re on this slippery path. 

“I’ll never understand why people find amusement into reading about two men fucking each other.” he states 

I arch an eyebrow and cross my arms on my chest, surprised to see his homophobic side so blatantly exposed. I knew, of course, that he had been opposed to the legalization of gay marriage, and all sorts of stuffs that went in the same way, but hearing him say those words were a completely different thing. 

“That’s not what I wanted to say.” he adds, realizing his mistake “I have nothing against… gays. It’s simply not my cup of tea.” 

“Yeah, that I had noticed.” I snap at him 

“Elena,” he says “I’m sorry if I said something that may have been misinterpreted…” 

“It’s not only about what you said,” I interrupt him “it’s also about what you did.” 

He sighs, removes his jacket, and loosens his tie and sits down on the bed. 

“What did I do ?” he asks 

“Reading what I was writing on my laptop, without my consent.” I explain “This is not acceptable, Gerald.” 

“Why ?” 

“WHY ?!” 

I sigh and roll my eyes, not wanting to argue with him, but clearly annoyed that he doesn’t see the wrong in his actions either. 

“This is not respecting my privacy, Gerald,” I explain “what would you do, or think, if I read what you were doing on your phone on your computer ?” 

“You can’t do that, I have classified matters on them.” 

“Oh, and because I don’t deal with classified matters, that gives you the right to read what I am doing ? Let me tell you, Gerald, that you are in the wrong here !” 

“Fine, I’m sorry.” he grumbles 

He shrugs but his excuses weren’t really sincere. I take my laptop and leave the room. I won’t stay here a minute longer if he isn’t going to make any effort to understand my point of view. I retrieve my overnight bag in the hall and I shove my laptop in it, I grab my jacket on the hook by the door, and I leave the apartment, hoping secretly that Gerald will run after me. Even if I’m not sure that I am ready to forgive him just yet. I slam the door after me, and I hear him swear loudly, but I am already halfway down the stairs when I hear him call my name. I don’t stop and I walk up to the security booth, with my bag over my shoulder to get my driving license back. I knock on the glass door, and the chief of security seems surprised to already see me there. He hands me my card back through the opening and I tell him : 

“That still counts as one date.” 

“I’m counting.” he laughs 

I hear footsteps in my back, and I see the eyes of the security officer travel above my head. I turn on my heels and find Gerald just behind me, looking for explanations. 

“Elena, please,” he starts “stay and we can discuss this through.” 

“I don’t think discussing this through will do us good, Gerald.” 

“You’re stubborn.” he sighs “I like that, but you’re not making this any easier.” 

“Good, because you’re not making this easy either. I don’t want to argue with you, Gerald. Especially not here, especially not in public.” 

He grabs me by the arm and drags me further away, far from curious ears. He looks angrier than before and I feel my mood decrease as well. 

“Why are you mad at me ?” he questions 

“Because you thought that invading my privacy was okay, Gerald ! And you don’t seem to see the problem with it !” 

I’m starting to lose patience, and I raised my voice a little, startling him. 

“I’m sorry,” he says “I truly am. I didn’t think this was wrong, and I won’t do it again. Please, come back upstairs.” 

“No, as much as I want to, you ruined our evening with your actions and I don’t feel that me coming back to your place would have us both enjoying our date as we should.” 

“Elena, don’t be silly.” he chuckles “I said I was sorry.” 

“And I said I wouldn’t come back up. Don’t try to hold me back, Gerald. Have a good evening.” 

He looks at me in a sorry way, but he lets me go. I turn my heels and I walk away, trying not to show the internal storm raging within me. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to walk away. But I need to mark my point. I need to make him understand, to show him that he can’t treat me the way he did, and that if he intends to pursue something serious with me, he’ll have to deal with the boundaries of privacy. We can’t build anything if we can not trust each other. I step out of the Ministry’s perimeter, and I feel my lower lip starting to tremble. I am going to cry. All those tears of anger and disappointment I have withhold up until now are going to roll down my cheeks, and I won’t be able to hold them back anymore. I walk fast to arrive in the metro station before that happens, and I feel the tears starting to blur my vision as I validate my transport card to enter into the station. I let myself down on a bench, waiting for the tube to arrive, and my tears fall down in silence, crashing down on my knees. I wipe my cheeks with the back of my sleeves, and I am starting to wonder if I may have overreacted slightly. And if maybe I ruined everything. Maybe by walking away, I put a definitive stop to my relationship with Gerald. But it was a risk worth taking. If that argument is the end of our brief, but very intense relationship, so be it. 

An hour and a half later, I’m lying on my bed, in my apartment, contemplating my life choices, when I hear noise outside my door and I frown. My neighbours are usually pretty quiet when they come back to their place, and I live next to old ladies, not sounding like the male voices I overhear echoing down the hall. A bit startled, I feel my heart pound harder in my chest when someone knocks on my door. I am expecting no one, and no one knows I live here. My name isn’t on the mailbox, nor on the doorbell, neither on the door. 

“Elena ?” 

I know that voice, I’ll recognize it amongst billions others. And it always produces the same effect on me : heart beating faster, palms getting sweaty, legs getting weak… 

“Did you follow me here, Gerald ?” I ask through the door 

“Don’t be an idiot,” he laughs “do you really think I would have done that ?” 

“Then how do you know where I live ?” 

“Background check.” groans a voice behind him 

Great. He didn’t come alone. So much for a private conversation. And if we keep talking through the door, the whole building is going to overhear us. 

“Look, Elena.” sighs Gerald “I get it if you don’t want to talk to me. I have been a moron, and I should have realized that an open laptop wasn’t an invitation for me to read what you were writing. I am sorry I did so, and I am sorry I didn’t realize how hurt you were by my actions. But the truth is… I don’t want to lose you. I am sorry, Elena, I am deeply sorry, and I hope you can accept this apology as it is. If you need time, I’ll wait. If you don’t want to hear about me ever again, just say so, and I’ll disappear. If you…” 

I unlock the door and he interrupts himself mid-sentence. He wasn’t expecting me to do such a thing apparently. I grab him by his tie, pull him inside the flat, and slam the door shut behind him. I lock the door once more, and stay with my back to him. I acted on an impulse, not clearly sure of what I was doing. But now he’s inside, and we’ll have a chance to talk. Or maybe not talk. 

“I can’t believe your security service let you come all the way down here.” I chuckle, suddenly realizing that his car must be waiting outside the building, and that his bodyguards will be guarding the door until he leaves 

“Believe me, they weren’t thrilled about it.” he tells me 

“Did anyone see you enter here ?” 

“Of course not.” 

I turn to him and see him smirking a little, his arms crossed on his chest. It makes me smile a tiny bit, and I tell him : 

“You have been a fucking idiot, Gerald. But points to you for coming all the way down here when you could have sent a text. Or called me.” 

“I’m an old-school kind of guy, and I wanted to tell you in person.” 

“That’s a lie.” I tell him “You hoped that I opened the door to let you in.” 

“Yes,” he admits “that too.” 

I shake my head in disbelief and he takes a step towards me. I close the distance with him, and let my hand slide on his waist and in his back. He looks at me straight in the eyes, looking for my assentiment to kiss me. 

“I forgive you,” I eventually tell him “for reading lines you weren’t supposed to read, for failing at apologizing immediately, and for being a bit homophobic.” 

“I’m not.” he says 

“You are. A tiny bit.” 

“No, I am not. I swear that I am not. It slipped awfully wrong through my lips earlier.” 

“Okay. Okay.” 

I smile at him and he smiles back at me. That argument is behind us, and he pulls me closer to him, with both his arms around my waist. He leans forward, and he kisses me. I keep my hand in his lower back, and put my other arm around his neck, making our kiss more intense. In his arms, nothing matters anymore. The world could stop turning, the time could stop, I wouldn’t even notice. Here and now, with his mouth on mine, all that matters is how strong my heart beats for him. And how much I don’t want this moment to stop. 

“This would have been a shame not to come,” he whispers when we break our kiss to catch our breath “don’t you think ?” 

“Don’t tempt me, I can still kick you out. This is my place, my universe, and I don’t even know why I let you in.” 

“You wouldn’t dare,” he teases “but I’ll try my best to behave. If you’d keep me a little while longer.” 

“Your bodyguards are going to kill you.” I laugh “But yes, please stay.” 

He steals a quick kiss from my lips and lets go of me. He removes his jacket and places it on the back of a chair, and his tie ends up with it. He opens the first few buttons of his shirt to feel more at ease, and then only he allows himself to look around. Careful not to do anything that could irritate me, he doesn’t touch anything, but I see him examine attentively each decorative object that I have, each picture that lies in a frame, each poster on the wall. He jumped into my universe without being entirely prepared, and I feel myself blush a little. To dismiss my trouble, I check in the kitchen if I have something for dinner, but I don’t. I had not expected to spend the evening at my place, and grocery shopping was on my plans for tomorrow. 

“May I ask a question ?” 

Gerald’s voice in my back made me jump in scare, and drew me out of my thoughts 

“Yes, go on.” 

“I noticed you had a couple of papers taped on your wall regarding your fanfictions, I didn’t read them, but does that mean, given your earlier reaction, that you don’t receive anyone here ?” 

“Who would I receive here ?” I frown “I don’t have any friends in Paris, only a few acquaintances, and when we hang out, it’s in pubs or cafes.” 

“So, that makes me…” he starts 

“A privileged man.” I nod “And you can read what’s taped on my wall. If you have any interest in what I’m writing. Not all of my fanfictions are gay ones, and some are cute ones, you’ll see.” 

I grin and he goes back to the living-room. I take my phone in the rear pocket of my jeans to look for a food delivery service and I join him. I find him standing in front of the sheets of paper I taped on my wall, and that I use as a storyboard for my fanfictions. He is actually reading them carefully and I wait until he’s done to say : 

“Do you mind eating a pizza ?” 

“No, of course not.” he replies 

“Good. Because my fridge is as empty as yours… I hadn’t really planned on eating here, you see…” 

“I can still take you out for dinner.” he suggests 

“I don’t think this would be a wise idea. And I like the idea of us eating pizzas here. But the good point is that I have beers in the kitchen.” 

“You don’t have any food, but you have beers ?” he jokes “You really do have your priorities straight, Elena !” 

“Oh, shut up !” I reply “I do know for a fact that you have beers, and several bottles of alcohol under your sink, but you don’t have food either in your fridge Mr.Perfect !” 

“Touché.” he smirks “And I like that nickname.”

“Don’t get used to it.” I warn “What do you want on your pizza ?” 

“Chicken, and loads of cheese.” he tells me, coming closer to look over my shoulder at me placing the order 

I order a ham and cheese one for me, and the app says they will get delivered to the door in about twenty minutes. I put my phone back in my pocket, and Gerald wraps his arms around my waist, from behind, his lips looking for the skin of my neck. I exhale deeply when I feel the softness of his kisses, and I tilt my head on the side, giving him a better access to this very sensitive part of my body. 

“Thank you, for allowing me to stay,” he whispers in my ear “I don’t deserve your kindness, and I don’t deserve this date to happen. Thank you for allowing me to discover your universe as well… I like it.”

“Do you really ?” I joke “Because my very tiny Parisian apartment has nothing to offer in comparison to your very luxurious one in the Ministry”

“It has something to offer.” he corrects me “It has you.” 

I blush with those words, and he kisses me with a bit more passion behind the ear. I feel safe, and I feel loved in his arms. One of his hands slides under my top, on my stomach, and the warmth of his skin on mine is giving me weird thoughts. I feel myself blush heavier and I escape his arms before the temperature becomes unbearable between us, and we do something we might regret afterwards. 

“Don’t get me wrong,” I say to him “I want you as much as you want me. But I’ll have to get downstairs to grab the pizzas, and I can’t go if I’m half-naked.” 

“Later, maybe ?” he suggests 

“Maybe, yes.” I nod

I steal a kiss from his lips and go back to the kitchen to fetch some beers. I open them and give him one. He very seriously looks at me, raising his and he declares : 

“To you and I, and to three wonderful dates, and a fight, but a relationship that is worth pursuing…” 

“To us.” I grin, raising my beer and taking a sip of it “Oh god, that beer really is disgusting.” I add after that “Cheap supermarket beer is to avoid at all costs.” 

“I’ll bring you some good ones from my region,” says Gerald cringing at the taste of the beer he’s drinking “that beer truly is horrendous. What type of beer do you prefer ?” 

“Either white ones or stouts like Guinness. I don’t drink anything in-between.” 

“That’s…” he starts 

“Odd ? I know.” I chuckle “I have very specific tastes. Maybe I should just drop the beer and buy some other alcoholic beverages for next time.” 

“Such as ?” 

“I have a sweet tooth for Smirnoff Ice. It’s low-dosed in vodka, but has the taste of lime, so I like it. And you already know my interest and appetite for good wines.” 

“You are a woman full of surprises, Elena.” says Gerald to me “But I like that. Bland girls are boring. And you’re everything but bland.” 

I laugh and he closes the distance between us to kiss me. He has one arm in my back, his other hand still holds his bottle of beer, and in my tiny Parisian kitchen, we feel like any other couple sharing a sweet moment before dinner. He’s simply Gerald, and I am Elena. Here and now, for a few hours he can shed this heavy duty of being the Interior Minister. He can just be him. With me. This blissful moment is interrupted by my phone buzzing in my pocket. Our pizzas are ready, and I must go downstairs to pick them up. 

“You stay there,” I tell my partner “I’ll be back in a minute.” 

I vanish through the door before he can answer anything. I stop right in my tracks because two of his security officers are waiting beside the door, and seem surprised to see me. One of them looks at me, at the door that I just slammed behind my back and he jokes : 

“Please tell me we won’t have to bring the boss all across Paris to apologize to you…” 

“That sounds borderline professional.” I answer him “But no, I’m only going downstairs to pick up our dinner. Could you two try to be a bit more… discreet ? I have neighbours you know, and I’d rather not have them wonder why I have two gorillas mounting guard before my door.” 

“We’ll do that.” nods the other one “Right, Maxime ?” 

“Of course.” sighs the first security officer “We’ll make ourselves forgotten. Do you know if the boss intends to spend the night here ?” 

“Oh, he does !” I wink before running downstairs not to make the delivery guy wait for too long 

When I come back five minutes later with our pizza boxes, one of the security guys has disappeared, and I enter into my apartment, looking for Gerald. 

“Here comes dinner !” I exclaim, placing the pizzas on the living-room table 

“I’m coming.” he answers 

I overhear him washing his hands in the bathroom and he comes back to me not long after. 

“I heard you were talking with my bodyguards,” he tells me “is there a problem ?” 

“No. No problem.” I answer “I simply asked them to keep a low profile. I don’t need all my neighbours to know I am dating someone highly-positioned.” 

“That is understandable. I am sorry to have them following me everywhere I go. I wish we could be more… alone.” 

“It’s fine. They are not too disturbing. And here we are alone.” 

He grins and I wash my hands before sitting down for dinner with him. We eat our pizzas together, drinking water because none of us dares drinking another of those horrendous beers. I notice that for once, Gerald seems to not be too disturbed by his phone. Or maybe he’s ignoring it on purpose ? 

“Have you ever eaten in a starred restaurant ?” he asks me between two bites of his pizza 

“Yes, once with my parents, for their wedding anniversary. Why ?” 

“Because…” 

He pauses, hesitates, and finally tells me : 

“If I tell you it’s a surprise, would you be fine with that ? And not ask questions ?” 

“I’m not much into surprises. But okay… I won’t ask questions.” 

“Good.” he smirks 

We finish dinner talking a little bit about my fanfictions. Gerald is wary about that subject, but I happily answer his questions, trying to dismiss the earlier tension between us regarding that topic. We fold the pizza boxes, throw them away, and I put our glasses into the sink to wash them later. He puts his hands in the rear pockets of my jeans, and kisses me in the neck, making me giggle like a teenager. 

“Your neck is a sensitive spot, it seems.” he tells me 

“Yes, and you’re driving me crazy, Gerald. Your hands on my arse are not helping either.” 

“I know. Because I want us to take advantage of that evening together… You don’t have your period anymore, right ?” 

“Right.” I nod “Which means we can have sex. All night if you want… Providing we don’t wake up the neighbours.” 

“Are the walls that thin ?” 

“Oh yes !” I laugh 

His laugh in my ear sounds like gold and I escape his arms. He chases after me, and he catches me back in the bedroom. One of his arms wraps around my waist, as we laugh together. We kiss each other and with his free hand he removes my hair tie, freeing my hair that falls down on my shoulders. 

“Let me be in charge for once.” I tell him, pushing him towards the bed 

I make him sit down on the edge of the bed, and I sit on his lap, facing him, one leg on each side of his. I feel his cellphone buzz in his trousers pocket, and I shove my hand down there to pick up the object and I give it to him. 

“Do you have to answer that ?” I ask 

“Yes,” he sighs “it’s the President.” 

“Oh. Answer it.” 

He picks up the call and props the phone between his head and his shoulders, as one of his hands is busy messing with my hair, and the other helps him keep his balance, spread out on the bed sheets. 

“Yes ?” he starts 

My lips travel from his mouth to his neck, and he muffles a groan as he continues his conversation with Emmanuel Macron. 

“Hmmhm…. Of course… No, of course we have to do something, we can’t let that happen again… It’s the what ? Third ? Fourth time ?...” 

I have started opening more buttons of Gerald’s shirt and he struggles to keep his focus on his phone conversation. His hand is now on the back of my head and I start kissing him down the chest to tease him even more.

“I know this is an important matter, Emmanuel…” he says “Yes,” he sighs after a while “yes, if you want… No, not in ten minutes… No, I’m not at the Ministry… Yes,” he chuckles “yes I’m with someone… You’re asking too many questions, Emmanuel. I’ll be there in half-an-hour… Thank you.” 

He hangs up and looks down at me. 

“Cockblocked by the President ?” I joke “That is very unusual…” 

“That will happen more often than you can imagine. I have to go, we have pressing matters to discuss.” 

“May I at least know what this is about ?” I sigh 

“A mayor of a small rural town was assaulted. Once again.” 

“Oh.” 

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes, buttoning his shirt up with expertise “this requires my presence at the Palace.” 

“I understand.” 

“I’d say to you that I’ll come back during the night, but the truth is : we’ll probably work until the early hours of morning.” 

“Another time.” I shrug 

“Are you disappointed ?” he asks me, lifting my chin up with two of his fingers 

“Yes.” I admit “I hoped to fall asleep in your arms tonight. But I told you already that I understand your duties as a Minister. So please go, the President is waiting for you.” 

“I’m sorry to leave you, my sweet Elena.” 

He lifts me up to put me on the floor and he kisses me with a lot of passion. He truly looks sorry, and I believe him when he says he is. But he can’t ditch the President, especially regarding matters that are relevant to his Ministry. 

“Sweetheart,” he whispers “I think I may be falling in lo…”

“Shh” I interrupt him, placing a finger on his lips “don’t say it. Not like that. Not because you feel guilty. Please.” 

He bites his lip and nod. I let him go into the living-room to pick up his tie and jacket, and he hurries up to go away. But before he goes through the door, he gives me one last kiss, and promises me to send me a text tonight to let me know how it is going at the Elysée. 

“Gerald !” I call just before he slams the door 

“Yes, Elena ?” 

“You told Emmanuel that he was asking too many questions, right after you told him you weren’t alone,” I say to him “what was he asking ?” 

“He wanted to know if you were the same one as the last time.” he shrugs 

“Will you tell him ?”

“Yes. I want him to know that it's a serious matter. That you matter, and that I want to have a serious relationship with you.” 

I blush and watch him go away, followed closely by his bodyguard. I close the door after him, with an idiot smile on my lips : Gerald almost told me he loved me, and he wants to build a serious relationship with me. My life in this moment couldn’t be brighter, and my heart feels about to burst out with love. I am falling for Gerald, I am falling hard for him, but I think he is worth it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think of this heavy chapter ? The fight between Elena and Gerald ? Was Elena right to react like this ? The way Gerald eventually apologized ? How they managed to reconnect in Elena's apartment ? Gerald breaking into her universe ? Them being very cute together ? The flaming desire they can't repress when they are together ? How they are interrupted at the worst possible moment by the President ? The nearly-said-words by G ? 
> 
> What do you expect in the coming chapters ? More cuteness ? More sex ? More feelings ?


	4. A very special date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLLLLYYY - that's what you're going to exclaim when reading this chapter (or at least I hope) 
> 
> See you at the end of the chapter for a more detailed review ;) 
> 
> \---
> 
> OH - fait warning because I know some of you do that - Don't read the end of chapter questions before you read the chapter, or you'll spoil yourself everything ! (Yes, you know I'm talking about YOU).

I step out of the taxi and walk towards the restaurant, slightly nervous about tonight. Perched on my stilettos, I try not to overthink this date to come. Gerald is leaning on the hood of his car, reading something on his phone, oblivious yet to my presence. Odd detail : he is for once wearing his glasses. Two of his security agents are flanking him, standing on each side of their boss, and they are the first ones to notice my presence. They can’t help but look at me from head to toe, and I see Gerald’s chief of security discreetly calling him. My boyfriend finally raises his eyes from his phone screen and his jaw literally drops. I feel myself blush and I join him. 

“Good evening.” I say shyly 

“Good ev-evening,” he stutters, still looking at me with bewilderment “you look incredible Elena.” 

I made a real effort for him, and for this special date he invited me to : instead of the usual jeans with trainers, I am wearing a pair of high-heels sandals, a red dress with a nice cleavage and I let my hair loose for once. Gerald takes my hand, and he brings it to his lips, making me blush even harder. I give a little nod to the two security agents and Gerald’s head bodyguard tells me : 

“You look very elegant tonight, Miss Elena.” 

“Thank you.” I answer, blushing heavily to be scrutinized by the three men 

My boyfriend hasn’t let go of my hand, and instead of pocketing his phone like he always does, he hands it to his security officer, telling him : 

“I don’t want to be disturbed, unless it’s a real emergency. Understood ?” 

“Yes, Sir.” nods the man “Have a nice evening, enjoy your dinner.” 

“Thank you.” smiles Gerald 

He turns to me with that bright smile and we walk together inside the restaurant. It’s the first time we’re holding hands like that in public, but there is no one around, and I feel completely safe here. The two bodyguards stayed at the entrance of the restaurant, letting us go inside on our own. 

“Good evening,” says the woman welcoming us “we are delighted to welcome you into our restaurant. Please follow me.” 

We are brought to an isolated room, decorated with modern paintings, and seated at a large round table covered with a white cloth. The waiter pulls the chair for me, but I’m pretty sure that Gerald would have done it if he hadn’t. 

“The chef suggests for you both a six-course menu, with wine suggestions from our sommelier, would that suit you ?” asks the waiter 

I look at Gerald, and he looks back at me, asking for my opinion. I nod and answer the waiter : 

“Let’s do that, yes. We trust you.” 

“Wonderful.” smiles the woman “Are there any allergies, or things you don’t want to eat I should know about ?” 

“No,” replies Gerald “Elena ?” 

“No mushrooms for me, please. Other than that, I’m good.” I chuckle nervously 

“Noted.” she answers, retreating politely 

The table is so big that our hands are barely touching as we are seated across each other. But Gerald mindlessly plays with the tip of my fingers, his eyes not leaving mine as we keep chatting together. 

“I have to say,” I admit “I nearly choked when you sent me the address of the restaurant this morning.” 

“Sorry, I didn’t want you to freak out.” he smirks “I know this can be a bit intimidating, but here we are on our own, certain not to be disturbed, and it’s a nice change from where we meet usually. And only the best for my girlfriend.” 

I blush and answer him : 

“Yet, you should have told me earlier, Gerald. I spent an hour and a half wondering what I was going to wear tonight.” 

“You look stunning,” he answers “that color on you looks incredible.” 

“Thank you.” 

He bites his lip and was about to say something else but we are interrupted by the arrival of our first plates. It’s an appetizer of green apples, goat cheese espuma and potatoes. We are served a white Italian wine with it, and I lean forward a little to take my glass and take a sip of it. I notice my partner’s eyes travelling from my face to my cleavage, and he nearly chokes on his own wine. He puts his glass back on the table, checks that no one is in the room or nearby and asks me : 

“Are you wearing anything underneath that dress, Elena ?” 

“Do you mind if I’m not ?” I tease him 

“I… guess I don’t. But if you could avoid leaning forward…” he smirks 

“Oh, you don’t want me to expose my breasts to the personnel here ?” 

“I prefer to keep you for myself, darling.” he replies entering into my game of seduction and teasing 

“Well, this body is all yours, whenever, and wherever you want.” 

He grins and I blush harder, ashamed of my own cheekiness. But it feels good to be daring a little. And indeed, I should avoid leaning forward too much, because I’m not wearing any bra underneath that dress as I couldn’t find any that was fitting : either the straps were too visible, or it was not the appropriate shape. We keep teasing each other during the remainder of the dinner, with glances and words exchanged over the table, that make the temperature rise between us. But in between this little back and forth we discuss of more serious subjects as well : Gerald opens up about his job for the first time since we started dating, and even if he doesn’t dwell too much on the details, he talks with me about the struggles he is facing, the challenges he’d like to overcome and what he has already accomplished. He also talks about his mayoral mandate in Tourcoing, and how gutted he was to have to abandon it. 

“I’ll bring you there one day.” he promises me over dessert “In Tourcoing, I mean. This is where I have my roots, this is where I am truly myself, and you deserve to see me at my best.” 

“Have you ever brought a girl there ?” 

“Not since my divorce,” he says, staring at his plate “after the utter failure that my marriage was, I never took the chance to disappoint my parents ever again. But if I bring you there, you won’t have to meet them, it’s still too soon. Don’t worry about that.” 

“I know this is too soon.” I chuckle “You haven’t even told them you were dating someone.” 

“You haven’t told yours either.” he tells me 

“No, and I know why I haven’t. I’m not exactly dating ‘anyone’, you know… They will freak out. Oh, and there’s this tiny, oh so tiny age gap between us.” 

“So tiny.” he laughs “How much, again ?” 

“Fourteen years, Gerald.” I chuckle “This is not a detail you can overlook easily.” 

“I can.” 

“Don’t be an idiot,” I say, rolling my eyes, “you know exactly what I mean. That age gap, and your reputation and position are the perfect cocktail to make my parents, and my whole family hate you.” 

“I’m so eager to meet them.” he jokes 

“This is exactly why I want to keep our relationship low-key for the moment. It’s too fresh, and even if I know it probably means something for us both, people don’t have to know for the moment.” 

“I agree.” 

He takes my hand on the table to seal this agreement and we finish our glasses of champagne. The dinner was excellent, and I don’t regret the idea that Gerald had to make us dine in a starred restaurant for once. 

“How did you manage to get a night off, by the way ?” I ask my boyfriend 

“From time to time, I can put duty on hold,” he explains “if there’s a real emergency they know they can reach me. Otherwise, it can wait for tomorrow. And I made sure that Emmanuel was okay with this.” 

“Is he ?”

“Yes,” nods Gerald with a little smile “more than okay, as long as I keep doing a good job.” 

“Excellent.” I grin “Does that mean we won’t be disturbed tonight ?”

“Exactly. That’s my plan. Our last date was too frustrating, and I don’t want that to happen ever again.” 

“In that case, I guess we’d better head back to wherever you plan on us spending the night.” 

“At the Ministry.” he smirks “Home, in short. Wait for me here, I’m going to pay for our dinner.” 

“You’re ready to take the risk of me running away ?” 

“I’m pretty certain you won’t.” he laughs “But yes, I’m ready to take that risk.” 

He gets up, walks around the table, and before going to pay, he comes closer to me, puts a finger underneath my chin to make me look upwards into his piercing gaze and he bites his lower lip. 

“You look stunning, Elena,” he whispers “and you can’t begin to imagine all the thoughts that are coming to my mind right now.” 

“I think I can.” I reply with a cheeky smile 

He smiles back and leans forward to kiss me with passion. During that kiss, his hand slides on my cheek, in a possessive but tender gesture and I understand it’s his way of saying “you’re mine”. He breaks our embrace too soon to my taste, and leaves me panting, my cheeks burning and red, my whole body ignited with a desire I can’t completely master. I blink several times to reconnect with reality, and try to gather my senses and cool down a little bit. This car ride back to the Ministry is going to be a nightmare if neither of us can’t master our impulses, but we know we can’t jump on each other in the car either. 

“Elena ?” 

I jump in scare and turn to Gerald who just came back to me. He extends his hand and I take it, getting up, ready to go back home with him. 

“Do you have any idea of the effect you have on me, Gerald ?” I say to him as we walk out of the room 

“I believe you have exactly the same effect on me, Elena.” he sighs “And I wish we could be alone in that car, trust me.” 

We exchange a glance, glad to be thinking alike. As usual, we don’t have to talk much to know what we are thinking, and to be on the same wavelength. Gentleman as always, Gerald removes his jacket and places it over my shoulders when we reach the hall, to cover a bit my exposed skin, but I suspect it is also to keep my cleavage from being too exposed while we’re in the car. Possessive and jealous. We thank the restaurant staff, meet back with Gerald’s bodyguards that have been waiting for us patiently and my boyfriend gets his phone back. He pockets it without even giving a look at it and we walk out the restaurant. By habit, he lets go of my hand, not to take any risk to be seen but he opens the car door for me. I sit down and buckle the seatbelt, one of the bodyguards sitting in front of me, while Gerald goes around the car to sit on the other side, with the other security officer. 

“How was the dinner ?” asks the chief bodyguard to Gerald 

“Excellent,” smiles my boyfriend “as you can expect from such an establishment. And the wine selection was…” 

“Outstanding.” I complete his sentence “I particularly liked that Spanish red wine we drank before the champagne, it was very peculiar, but it tasted so good.” 

“I agree, that was the best one we had.” nods Gerald, smiling at me “Talking about food, the dessert was really one of a kind, but I am biased, anything with pear and chocolate makes me lose all common sense.” 

“That makes two of us.” I blush “Fruits and chocolate in general are a true weakness.” 

I see a malicious sparkle cross my partner’s eyes but he keeps silent for now. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. Not in those terms at least. I try to repress the laughter that I feel rising in my throat but I fail miserably and I end up laughing, for almost no reason, under the surprised but amused gaze of my boyfriend and the mildly-concerned one of the security agents. Thankfully, we’re arrived and the car enters in the courtyard of the Ministry, sparing me the need for an explanation. Before we unboard the car I look for my ID in my handbag and hand it to the man seated in front of me. He nods and puts it in his jacket pocket. I’ll get it back tomorrow, when I leave. Gerald and I have vanished inside the building before the security officers could follow us, or wish us a good evening and my boyfriend has taken my hand in his once more in the safe place that are the walls of the Ministry. He pulls me in his arms, removing the jacket from around my shoulders and he whispers in my ear : 

“Resisting the urge to touch you in the car was a real challenge. I want to put my hands all over your body Elena. And make you scream my name…” 

“Not here.” I say “But in your apartment, you can do to me whatever you wish…” 

I tease him with a brief kiss on the lips and we climb the stairs towards his apartment, greeting the very few employees that are still here. We walk up to the private part of the apartment and he shuts the door behind me, locking it so we are truly alone. 

“Finally…” he smirks 

“Finally.” I reply, placing my bag on the nearby table “I’m all yours for the night now, my dear Minister.” 

“If you call me like that again, we won’t make it to the bed.” he groans, kissing me in the neck, just below the ear, his hands sliding on my hips 

“Who said I wanted you to take me to bed ?” I joke 

“Adventurous woman,” laughs Gerald busy removing my hair tie to let my hair fall down on my shoulders “do you realize how much of an amazing view I have from here ?” 

Indeed, hugging me from behind, his head in my neck, he can peek into my cleavage, and since I’m not wearing any bra, my skin is showing more than it usually does. Gerald’s hand which was positioned on my stomach travels upwards and he introduces it in the cleavage of my dress, cupping my breast with his whole hand. 

“My delicious temptation…” he mutters, planting a soft kiss in my neck 

“You’ve wanted to do this during the whole dinner, am I wrong ?” 

“I wish it was socially acceptable to pin you against the wall in a public place, Elena.” he chuckles 

“If only.” I reply “Are you going to, though ? Pin me against the wall, I mean ?” 

“Is that what you want ?” he teases me, his warm breath in my neck, his fingers pinching my nipple making me moan in his arms 

“Yes.” I say in a breath “But first, as much as I like to believe I am a superhero, I need to get off those shoes, they’re killing me.” 

He laughs and removes his hand from inside my dress. He holds me by the waist to help me keep my balance and I remove my high heeled sandals, pushing them in a corner. 

“Better ?” he asks me with a grin 

“You can’t even begin to imagine !” I laugh in response 

“Good,” he smirks “then there’s nothing preventing me from doing… this ?” 

In a second he grabs me by the hips, turns me around and pushes me against the wall, making me gasp in surprise. We both laugh, and he comes closer to me, his intimacy pressing against my ass, his lips brushing against the back of my neck. I placed my hands flat on the wall, giving him all power over me. I know this is what he wants, and I intend to give him just that. 

“I am wondering what type of underwear I am going to find under your dress, my naughty Elena…” he whispers in my ear as one of his hands slides up my thigh “Are you even wearing something underneath that dress ?”

“I am.” I chuckle “I am wearing… something.” 

His hand lifts up my dress up my thigh as he continues to go up and he seems surprised to not encounter anything when he arrives on my arse cheeks. I feel myself blush heavily and I hear him laugh softly when he finally understands that I am wearing a lace thong. 

“Dress to impress…” he whispers “If I had known how indecently naked you were underneath that dress, I’m not sure we would have made it that far, honestly.” 

“Which is exactly why I didn’t tell you.” I reply

One of his hand keeps my dress up at my waist, and the other one explores the white, exposed, skin of my ass, I feel his fingers slide between my legs and I spread them to ease the way for him. My underwear are wet from desire, and he notices that immediately. He pushes the fabric on the side and one of his finger slides inside of me, drawing a moan out of my throat. 

“How much do you want me, Elena ?” he asks 

“I want you… Here and… Now…” I pant in response, trying to focus on my words and not the pleasure he is making me feel 

“Put your hands above your head,” he instructs “and keep them here.” 

I do as I was told, and he withdraws his finger. He lowers my thong only slightly on my legs, he makes me bend forward a little, and I hear him open his belt and fly. I can bet this will be rough and intense, but after all, this is all I begged for, and this is what we both want. He first let his hard cock slide between my parted thighs, rubbing against my intimacy as his whole body comes even closer to mine. He traps my wrists together in one of his hands, and he thrusts himself in one powerful move of his hips, that make us both scream of pleasure. He keeps me pinned against the wall and starts fucking me fast and hard. I am blinded by pleasure, unable to keep quiet, abandoning myself entirely to him. I tilt my head backwards, leaning on his shoulder, my lips parted, my eyes closed, moaning his name as if he was the World’s eighth wonder. His pleasure is rising faster than mine, and I feel him close to the non-return point after a few minutes of this very raw and intense love-making session. 

“Not… In me…” I try to plead between two moans remembering that we are not using any protection 

“You had your period last week, Elena. It’s safe.” he brushes off 

“Fine.” I concede, admitting he’s not entirely wrong 

“Thank you.” he manages to mumble just before his body stiffens on a powerful orgasm during which he screams my name

I feel his semen flow deep inside of me, warm, spurting out of his restless dick. He stays inside of me for a very long time, panting but happy, his lips thanking me with soft kisses behind the ear. 

“You did not come ?” he questions on a very concerned tone as he withdraws from inside me 

“No,” I honestly answer “but I was close.” 

“I’m sorry. Let me take care of that…” 

“Gerald, you don’t have to.” 

“I want to.” 

He smiles at me, and he releases the grip he had on my wrist so I can turn around and kiss him. He is sincere : he wants to please me, he wants me to reach cloud nine and scream his name. Gerald opens the zipper on the side of my dress and he helps me remove it, throwing it on a nearby table. He steals a kiss from my lips once more, and much to my surprise, he kneels down in front of me, finishes to lower down my underwear, help me step out of it, and he starts kissing his way back up on my leg. Only then I understand what he is going to do, and I blush heavily, gasping in surprise. 

“You deserve to be pleased as the wonderful woman you are, Elena.” he tells me, noticing my surprise “Don’t hold back your screams, please.” 

He grins, and firmly forces me to spread my legs a little bit more with both his hands on my inner thighs. I close my eyes, overwhelmed by the anticipation of what’s to come, and I squirm when I feel his lips on my intimacy. 

“Don’t move.” he groans

His tongue finds its way in this warm passage, and my hand finds its place in his hair. I expect him to tell me not to touch him, but he’s surprisingly compliant, and I keep playing with the loose strands of hair on top of his head while he licks and explores the most intimate part of my anatomy. The tip of his tongue around my vagina makes me exhale deeply of pleasure, but when he eventually teases my clitoris I can’t hold back the guttural scream of satisfaction that escapes my throat. He keeps teasing me like that, using only his mouth, and I become more and more restless, my whole body shaken by this unusual teasing, and I end up once more very close to orgasm. Just before I reach this pure heaven, I bring my second hand onto my lover’s head, unconsciously pressing him deeper between my legs, as if I could bury him between my thighs forever. 

“OOOH ! GERALD ! GERAAALD !” 

That scream was the ultimate sign of me finally reaching orgasm, and my whole body reacts to this immeasurable pleasure, trapping him between my legs for a few seconds, my hands in his hair, biting my lip as I try to make sense of what is happening. When I reconnect with reality I realise that Gerald hasn’t moved and I free him, letting him get back up on his feet. He noticed that my whole body is shaking, exhausted by what we just made, and he takes me into his arms. I bury my face into his neck, wrapping my arms around his chest, inhaling the scent of his after-shave mixed with his sweat, that scent that is so uniquely him.

“Told you I'd take you against the wall.” he chuckles

“Thank you, Gerald.” I whisper into his ear “It was incredible.” 

“It truly was.” he nods “And I’ll never get tired of hearing you scream my name.” 

I look at him, and he strokes my cheek calmly, gazing into my eyes, before kissing me. Our kiss is chaste, patient, caring, and full of tenderness. He keeps his forehead pressed against mine when our lips part, still inebriated by each other’s presence. 

"I love you" I whisper 

I realize in horror that those words have escaped my lips, and I cover my mouth with my hand. This was not planned, and this was probably too soon. I blush heavily, fleeing the gaze of my boyfriend. He chuckles lightly and tucks one loose strand of hair behind my ear, drawing my attention back on him. 

"It's okay, Elena," he tells me "I love you too. I know we haven't been dating for long but I am now certain that I can't picture my life without you in it. I don't want to freak you out, we can still take things slow, but I have feelings for you, Elena. I am in love with you, and you're making me completely crazy." 

"I don't want to take things slow." I say "Falling in love with you is the best thing that has ever happened to me." 

“Meeting you is the best thing that ever happened to me.” he says in echo to me “I am crazy about you, and I’ll make sure it stays this way for as long as possible…” 

Our mouths find each other again, and this time we kiss with this promise of love in mind. 

“Now that you told me you love me, can I take you to shower with me ?” 

“Still no.” I laugh “But points to you for trying.” 

“What will it take for me to bribe you into taking a shower with me ?” 

“Us not being sex addicts.” I joke “I don’t trust myself on not jumping on you under the shower, but it wouldn’t be reasonable.” 

“Okay.” he nods “Fair point.” 

I kiss him on the lips and say : 

“I am going to shower, wait for me in bed, I won’t be long !” 

I come back in the bedroom twenty minutes later, wearing nothing, and find him in the bed, with a book. He stripped down to his underwear and he’s indeed waiting for me. 

“You can take something in my closet,” he indicates, pointing at the wardrobe against the wall “or not. You look wonderful when you’re naked.” 

I smirk and climb naked next to him in the bed, resting my head against his shoulder. He’s reading poetry, as usual before bed. He wraps an arm around my shoulder and closes his book. 

“I should take a shower too,” he says “are you tired ? Do you feel like sleeping ?” 

“No, not really.” I shrug “Not after the excellent evening we had. But I have an idea for after your shower… Do you have your laptop here somewhere ?” 

“In the office, second door on the left after the kitchen. Careful, I trapped Boris in there.” 

“You trapped him ?” 

“I wanted to make sure we wouldn’t be disturbed.” he grins “Can I let you go fetch the laptop ?” 

“Of course, but first, kiss me, please.” 

“Sure, my dear Elena.” 

He puts the book on his nightstand and grabs my face to kiss me passionately. I stop him before it becomes too desperate, and we’re giggling when I send him away to take his shower. I run away to the small office that is included in the apartment and as soon as I open the door, Boris runs through my legs and sprints towards the kitchen. I grab the laptop on the desk and come back to the bedroom with it, turning it on on the way back. I sit back on the bed and connect myself to my google drive account. Boris joins me on the bed and I mindlessly caress its back while it loads on the computer. 

“I thought you were allergic ?” 

Gerald’s voice makes me jump in scare and I turn my eyes to him, leaning against the doorframe of his bedroom. 

“I am, but I took my allergy medicine before our date. And Boris just loves to cuddle.” 

“He likes you, that’s for sure.” nods my boyfriend with a little smile, sitting on the edge of the bed next to me “What’s the laptop for ?” 

“Remember when we discussed my passion for photography ? And that you asked to see some of the pictures I was making ? Well, I gathered a few from my afternoon in the Bercy area in a folder, if you’re still interested…” 

“If I’m interested ?” he reacts “Of course I am ! My talented girlfriend wants to show me what she makes and she wonders if I’m interested…” 

“Stop making fun of me, you idiot !” I say punching him in the arm

“The look on your face is priceless, honey.” 

I stick my tongue out at him and he laughs. He sits more comfortably in the bed, behind me, and he wraps his arms around my waist. I’m between his legs, the laptop in front of us. Boris is next to us, wondering if this is going to be the new normal. I open the folder of pictures I prepared, a bit nervous, and I click on the first picture. 

“Just so you know,” I start “I picked only the best pictures of the nearly two-hundred I made that day. And they have already been fixed regarding color and exposure, so this is the best version of what I can do…” 

“Elena,” he tells me, kissing the back of my shoulder “you sound awfully nervous. I’m sure your pictures are beautiful, and I’m genuinely interested in seeing them.” 

“It’s simply that…” 

“You never showed them to anyone ?” he guesses 

I nod and feel another sweet kiss on the back of my shoulder. 

“I’m honored.” Gerald tells me “Let’s get on with the pics.” 

We start viewing the pictures, one after the other, and I tell him about the cool afternoon I had that day. When we arrive at the pictures I took of the Economy Ministry I sense his attention increase, and it makes me smile. He stops on a picture of the entrance, with the flags and the perspective of the buildings. 

“That one !” he exclaims “I love that one !” 

“That much ?” I joke, surprised by his reaction 

“Oh yes ! It is perfect… Truly perfect. And it’d look amazing in my office downstairs.” 

“I’ll have it printed for you if you like it so much.” I say, half-joking 

“Would you do that ?” 

“Do you want me to ?” I seriously ask, frowning hard at him 

“Yes. I was serious, Elena. That picture is really great, and I would love to have it.” 

“I...don’t know what to say.” 

I’m speechless. I never thought he’d be that interested in any of the pictures I made. But after all, why not ?

“I’ll have it printed for you.” I grin “Thank you for saying it’s beautiful.” 

“I only tell the truth, you know that.” 

“Liar. But how can I hold you accountable for your lies with such a pretty face ?” 

He chuckles and I kiss him. I know that he wasn’t lying about the picture, his reaction was genuine and I will get it printed for him. We finish viewing the gallery of pictures and I close the laptop, placing it on the nightstand next to us. I snuggle closer into Gerald’s arms and we keep chatting together. 

“I have something to ask you,” I tell him, letting my fingers wander up and down his chest “but I’m not sure it’s very… thoughtful to ask.” 

“Go on.” he encourages me “My girlfriend can ask me anything.” 

I chuckle and say : 

“Do you regret changing position in the government ? I mean… There was a tiny bit of nostalgia in your voice earlier when we were talking about the Finances Ministry…” 

“No, honey, I don’t.” he immediately says “I don’t regret a single second being the Interior Minister.” 

“Is that true that you begged to have this position ? That you even threatened to go back to Tourcoing if you didn’t get it ?” 

“You are very well informed, my sweet Elena.” he grins 

He takes a few seconds of reflexion before explaining : 

“I am a valuable asset in this government. I’m from the right-wing, a protégé of Nicolas, and Emmanuel knows that losing me would be damageable. Either he gave me that Ministry, or he saw me leave, the conditions were clear…” 

“Then why did he hesitate for so long ?” 

“Two reasons,” sighs my boyfriend “he wondered if Jean-Michel wouldn’t have been better in this position. And Christophe begged him not to place me here. Anyone but me.” 

“Oh.” I react “And yet you got the job !” 

“Honestly, I never doubted I could get it. And I am delighted to be where I am.” 

“I can see that, and you sound thrilled when you’re talking about your work.” I tell him “Even if I know you’d love to have a bit more free time.” 

“I will manage to free some time for you, Elena. You’re so worth it !” 

He smirks and leans forward to kiss me. 

“Maybe I should stop bragging about how I got the job,” he says nonetheless “I would hate for you to believe I am too ambitious and too greedy.” 

“There is nothing wrong in being ambitious, darling.” I say “You fought for what you wanted, and you put your position in the balance. I admire you, and I respect you for it.” 

“And you lie perfectly well about it.” he jokes 

“I’m not lying.” I argue “I have the utmost respect for your ambition and your career, Gerald.” 

“Relax, I know that.” he jokes “But life would be easier if I wasn’t that ambitious.” 

“We wouldn’t have met if you hadn’t been that ambitious !” 

We crack up into laughter and it wakes up Boris who was starting to doze off next to us. The cat meows his anger at us and leaps off the bed to run away and find a quieter place to sleep. 

“Oh, I bet he doesn’t like me that much anymore.” I say 

“He’ll get used to it.” says Gerald “Besides, he’s not supposed to sleep in the bed anyway.” 

“Good to know.” I nod “Not guaranteed he’ll listen to me, but good to know.” 

After a while I raise my eyes towards my lover and ask him : 

“Are you sure you don’t mind me sleeping naked ?” 

“I’m bloody certain.” he says “But, we really should sleep now, or we won’t ever be able to get up tomorrow morning.” 

“Do we have to get up ?” 

“You probably don’t, it’s Sunday. But I do… All those calls I sent to voicemail tonight to be with you will need my attention in the morning.” 

“Oh, what a fun weekend !” 

I arch an eyebrow and he shakes his head. The perks of having a high-rank responsibility in the state. I guess I will have to get used to it if our relationship sets for the long-term. 

“Fine, let’s sleep.” I concede

“Thank you.” he tells me, planting a soft kiss on my forehead “And I might have said that already, but having you to sleep in my arms may be the best part of us dating…” 

“Oh? I naively thought it was when I had your cock in my mouth.” I say, smirking at him “Or when I was orgasming in your hands…” 

“You dirty little devil,” he laughs “those are delightful parts. But it had been too long since I shared a bed with someone I love.” 

“Say that again.” I tease him 

“Someone I love ?” he repeats with a tiny smile 

“I might record you saying those words,” I warn him “it sounds too unbelievable.” 

“Unbelievable ?” he frowns 

“Yes.” I nod “Why would someone like you love someone like me ?” 

“Elena, darling…” he sighs, replacing a lock of hair behind my ear “You are an incredible young woman, and I should be the one wondering why you fell in love with me. I don’t feel like I deserve your love, but I try to look at it like a blessing, and a chance to be a better version of myself. And my feelings for you are… unexpected ? They arrived soon, maybe way too soon, but they are beautiful, and strong, and they make me happy, and better.” 

“Do they make you really happy ?” 

“Insanely happy.” he says “I feel excellent when you are around, honey. What about you ? I know this can sound rushed, and you have every right to freak out, and please tell me if this is going too fast for you.” 

“It isn’t.” 

I shake my head and bite my lower lip. This wasn’t the impression I was trying to give him at all. 

“I’m sorry, I’m not freaking out, Gerald.” I say “I needed to know if we are on the same wavelength, that’s all.” 

“And… are we ?” 

“Very much.” I conclude, kissing him on the lips “Now, time to sleep.” 

“Good idea.” 

We exchange a few more kisses, reluctant to let go of each other and I stay in his arms, my head in his neck to fall asleep. 

When I open my eyes in the morning, I notice immediately that Gerald is already up, since the bed is empty, and cold. I give a quick glance at the alarm clock on his nightstand and I sigh. It’s seven thirty, and we’re Sunday morning… So much for a lazy weekend. I stretch my arms and legs, still exhausted from the wild sex we had yesterday. I get up and before wandering into the flat to look for my boyfriend, I open his closet to look for some clothes I can borrow from him. I grab a sweatshirt and pass it on : it fits me almost like a dress and that will be enough for this morning. I walk out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen where I feel I will find Gerald. He is indeed seated there, on a kitchen stool, heavy headphones on his head, glasses on his nose, working on his laptop, a few files spread out in front of him, an empty cup of coffee next to him. He is still wearing only his boxers and he looks breathtakingly handsome in the morning light. I walk up to him and place my hand on his shoulder to make myself noticed. He jumps in scare slightly and turns his head towards me, a smile on his lips. My hand slides lower on his chest as I place myself behind him to hug him and he lowers his headphone around his neck. 

“Good morning, honey.” he tells me with a voice that sends a shiver down my spine 

“Morning, darling.” I reply, kissing him on the lips “How long have you been up ?” 

“About an hour and a half.” he tells me “I hoped you’d sleep longer, honestly.” 

“The bed is too cold without you.” I chuckle 

Pointing at the headphones around his neck I ask : 

“Listening to music while you work ?” 

“No, radio.” he corrects me “But I didn’t want to wake you up, hence the headphones.” 

He disconnects the bluetooth connection from his phone and the radio station echoes in the kitchen. He removes his headphones and throws them further on the table. 

“I haven’t had breakfast yet,” he smiles “I was waiting for you.” 

“Oh.” I grin “I get the chance to grab a breakfast with my amazing but soooo busy boyfriend ?” 

“Stop teasing me.” he laughs “Tea ?” 

“Yes, please.” 

While he prepares our breakfast I walk back to the entrance of the flat to grab my purse and I come back into the kitchen looking for the pillbox I stashed in it. Gerald watches me do with frowned eyebrows but he doesn’t dare ask the questions I can read in his eyes. I swallow the two pills I eventually found with the tea he hands me and I then explain : 

“My allergy medication.” 

“Oh.” 

“Talking about… pills…” I start, a bit reluctant to bring that topic forward but it struck me that we didn’t really protect ourselves last night and maybe it is something we need to talk about “I am not taking any birth control pills, Gerald.”

“We will pay attention to your cycles.” he brushes off, as if it was the most normal thing ever 

I grab a toast and some butter and while I eat it, I explain to him : 

“My cycles are irregular and unpredictable. And I’m not sure we’re ready to take that risk… yet.” 

“Indeed,” he nods, between two spoons of yoghurt “I’d rather not play russian roulette by having sex with you.”

“Russian roulette ?” I react, arching an eyebrow, surprised to hear him use that expression

“You know what I mean. I do want kids, but not like that, and not right now. This is too soon.” 

“Well, that leaves us with one solution…” I smirk 

“Abstinence ?” he jokes 

“You idiot.” I roll my eyes at him “I know you’re not a fan of using condoms, but I guess it’ll be safer. At least for now.” 

“Yes, let’s try to be responsible adults.” he nods 

I blush and we chuckle at the same time. He takes my hand on the table but we are interrupted by Boris who jumps onto the table, between us, trying to see if he can beg for some cuddles. 

“Boris !” says Gerald “Come on, don’t you see that I am with my girlfriend ?” 

“He may be jealous of me ?” I suggest 

“The hell he is !” exclaims Gerald grabbing the cat and removing it from the table “Go play elsewhere for a while, will you ?” he says to the pet 

Boris looks at both of us before walking away, clearly offended. Gerald shakes his head and takes back my hand in his. 

“Do you have anything planned today ?” 

“No, not really. What about you ?” 

“Loads of work,” he sighs “and meetings in the afternoon. Turns out that we are struggling with the cops working unions…” 

“What a wonderful Sunday you have ahead of you…” I say “Do you want me to stay ?” 

“I don’t want to keep you from doing something pleasant. I’ll be buried into readings and phone calls all day, you know. Not a very promising perspective.” 

He looks desperate and tired already. I get up from my stool and come sit on his lap. He wraps an arm around my waist and we kiss each other. 

“I was thinking,” he says to me “that you could leave some clothes here maybe. For when you spend the night.” 

“Maybe it’s a bit too soon for that, don’t you think ?” 

“Don’t get me wrong,” he chuckles “I love to see you in my clothes, and I don’t mind seeing you in them. But you going out of here in them would raise some suspicions.” 

“Why ?” 

“The sweatshirt you have on your shoulders has my name on its back.” he laughs

I turn my head and try to look at the back of the sweater I’m wearing but I obviously can’t see in my back. I swear and remove the sweatshirt, throwing it on the table to check if I really failed at noticing that when I picked it in his closet. Gerald is crying from laughter and I realize that indeed, it’s written “DARMANIN” in capital letters all across the back of the sweatshirt. If I had gone out like that, for sure, that would have been a problem. 

“Dare I ask why you have a sweatshirt with your name on it ?” I say 

“It’s a gift,” he explains “from when I was working in Bercy. We visited a factory that our measures helped save and as a thank you, they had those sweatshirts made for us. Bruno has the same, and I think Olivier Dussopt and Agnès had theirs too. The Bercy gang you know…” 

He smirks and I shake my head in disbelief. They’d actually look amazing all four of them with those sweatshirts, but I could have been in trouble walking in the streets with it. And if I had been spotted and photographed with it, the Bercy gang certainly would have asked questions to their colleague. 

“The good point…” continues Gerald, with his fingers brushing against my thigh “is that you’re now naked again…” 

“Dirty boy.” I say, placing my fingers underneath his chin and forcing him to look up to my eyes and not to my naked body “Is that really reasonable ?” 

“Who said we had to be reasonable ?” he smirks “We’re Sunday, and we have nothing else to do.” 

“You just told me you had loads of work, honey.” 

“I work fast.” 

His hand travelled upper on my body and he is just below my breasts, teasing the skin by barely touching it, making me shiver in anticipation. He knows I can’t resist him, I can’t resist his charms and I won’t fight for too long. I straddle him on the chair, placing my legs on each side of his, my arms around his neck, and my mouth looks for his own in a desperate kiss. We only stop kissing when our bodies plea for oxygen, but his hands keep exploring my naked body, as mine are messing with his hair. 

“Enjoy while you can,” he tells me “I’m getting a haircut next week.” 

“I love you even more with short hair, my sexy boyfriend.” 

Those words make him blush a little and he gets rid of his glasses with one hand, lifting me up from his lap with his other arm. He sits me on the table, and kisses me with force, assessing once again that he’s in charge of our love-making session. I won’t fight him on this point either : I’m fine with him being the leader in our relationship. I slip my foot between his legs and I tease his crotch, making him groan against my mouth. 

“Are you really going to fuck me on the table ?” I whisper 

“I intend to fuck you on every surface of this apartment,” he smirks “and I hope you will let me accomplish that.” 

“Oh, I will.” 

I smile, and I kiss him on the lips once more, before he helps me lie down on the table. He is both gentle and sweet but extremely fast and dominant at the same time and this is arousing me very much. His lips travel down my neck, and his hand slides along my flank, until he arrives on my hip. I giggle because it tickles a little, but this sensation is soon replaced by another one, far more intense : pleasure. Gerald sucks on my right nipple, his tongue teasing the hard tip of it, and I bring my clenched fist to my mouth to muffle a scream. 

“No, no, no,” he chuckles “that’s cheating, honey. I want to hear you.” 

I sigh and remove my hand from my mouth. Instead I let it wander in the hair of my partner as he continues to explore my breasts with his lips. He is skilled, extremely skilled even, and my moans are echoing through the kitchen. One of his hands is keeping me pinned down on the table and the other one migrated between my thighs, and he is teasing my clitoris with his thumb. 

“Gerald,” I plead “stop. I’m not going to last if you keep going like that.” 

“Who says I want you to last ?” he replies 

“I want you to fuck me, Gerald.” I say “Please.” 

“I love hearing those words in your pretty mouth.” 

He laughs and comes back over me, to seal his mouth on mine. He uses both his hands to remove his boxers and I reluctantly break our kiss to say : 

“Didn’t we agree just about now to practice safe sex ?” 

“Hmm… Didn’t you tell me yesterday it was safe ?” 

“Why do you always discuss those things ?” I sigh 

“Fine.” he sighs in return, opening one of the drawers next to him 

“Don’t tell me you have condoms in your kitchen drawer,” I laugh “that’d be…” 

“Surprising ?” he completes, drawing the box of condoms out of the said-drawer “I’m full of surprises you know.” 

“You are…” 

He shushes me by placing a finger on my mouth and I nod. Better not say that he’s an idiot. Or a pervert. We both are anyway. He picks up a condom, gets it out of its wrapping and puts it on his cock. 

“Thank you.” I say to him “I know you don’t like it, but it’s the best solution.” 

“You talk too much, Elena.” he chuckles

“Tell me to shut up, then.” I challenge him

He leans over me and millimeters from my lips he growls : 

“Shut your indecent mouth, my dear Elena.” 

“O-okay.” I reply, completely mesmerized by his eyes, his scent, his voice

“Good girl.” 

He plants a tiny kiss on my lips, barely touching my mouth, leaving me gasping, begging for more. But he ignores my silent plea and he gets back up straight on his feet, spreading my legs with both his hands on my knees. He positions himself and thrusts himself in me, his head tilted backwards, a loud moan coming from deep within his throat accompanying this slow insertion. 

“This feels way too good, Elena.” he comments “I’d spend all my Sunday mornings like this, you know.” 

“I know.” 

We laugh and he thrusts himself backwards, and then forward again. He starts fucking me, faster and harder, his hands on my breasts, his fingers pinching my nipples, and I can’t repress my screams of pleasure anymore. Both my fists are clenched and I struggle to keep my body from arching on the table. It is too good, and my brain is flooded with pleasure signals. 

“Oh, Gerald !” I exclaim “Keep going ! Don’t stop !” 

Encouraged by my words, he goes faster, and one of his hands leaves my nipples to travel lower and when he finds again my clitoris, my body gives up on resisting and I orgasm, unable to control the spasms of pleasure that agitate me. I closed my eyes, and I think I screamed his name, but I’m not certain of that. All I know is that I feel him orgasm deep inside of me seconds after me, and when I open my eyes, he is panting over me, a bright smile on his lips. 

“I love you so much, Elena.” he mutters 

“I love you too.” I say faintly as he helps me sit back up on the table 

“Are you alright ?” 

“Exhausted, that’s all.” I tell him

I wrap my arms around his chest, and place my head on his shoulder, to grab a moment of rest and sweetness after this very intense love-making session. He withdrew from inside of me, removed the condom and threw it in the bin next to us, and I appreciate that for once he does not have to run away as soon as we are done. 

“I need to borrow clothes from your closet,” I say “acceptable clothes, I mean. Ones that don’t have your name written on them.” 

“I’ll find you some clothes while you take your shower, sweetheart. But once again, you should consider leaving some clothes here, for when you spend the night. Unless you’d rather wear that amazing dress you were wearing yesterday.” 

“I’d rather not.” I chuckle “It’s a bit overdressed for a Sunday tube ride.” 

“I can have a car bring you home.” he tells me very seriously 

“Oh no, you can’t. That’d be illegal use of the Ministry’s ressources, and I don’t want to get you into trouble.” 

“The protection of my partner is included in the package.” he chuckle 

“I’m not officially your partner.” I cringe “Not yet, at least. Besides… I like the tube… When I was younger, and by younger I mean when I was a little girl, I once insisted so much that my parents took me on a tube ride around Paris for an hour and a half. I was overjoyed.” 

“The simple joys of a little girl.” he jokes 

“Don’t make fun of me !” I grumble, hitting him in the ribs “I was very enthusiastic about the tube !” 

“I believe you,” he says, lifting his hand up in the air “and I wouldn’t make fun of you for that. Promise.” 

He pouts and I find that adorable. I stop hugging him and I steal a kiss from his lips before jumping off the table. On the way to the bathroom, I stop to pet Boris who came to meet me. 

“I can’t do anything about the shoes, though.” says Gerald making me jump in fear, arriving in my back with my clothes from yesterday in hand 

“I’ll wear my stilettos, don’t worry about that. High-heels with jeans is a perfect match.” 

“And boyfriend’s jeans are a trend from what I heard.” he chuckles, dropping the clothes on the bed “I’m going to take a quick shower, and I’ll look for clothes for you while you take yours. Then I really have to get back to working.” 

“Of course.” 

He leans to kiss me and escapes to go into the bathroom. I hear the shower running soon after, and I stay seated on the floor, petting Boris who was only asking for that. I am realizing how lucky I am to be spending time with my boyfriend on this Sunday morning, even if it’s early morning, and even if he’ll get tangled into work for most of the day. We had a whole evening together, and a night, and a delightful morning. That is more than I could have hoped for. And we’ve only been dating for a couple of weeks. But we have feelings for each other. I can’t yet pinpoint the exact extent of my feelings for him, but I am certain they are strong, and that I will be in deep trouble when this will become public knowledge. 

“Bribing him into liking you ?” says Gerald, leaning against the doorframe, looking down at Boris and me 

“Hmm ?” I react, oblivious to what he said 

“Trying to bribe Boris into liking you ?” he repeats, crouching to be at our height so he can pet his cat too “This is not a bad idea, honestly.” 

“Oh, I guess he’ll end up liking me anyway.” I shrug “Not that he’ll have any other choice, really. But I was lost in my thoughts.” 

“What were you thinking about ?” he questions 

“The day when you and I will get public.” I mumble 

“Excuse me ? Can you repeat that ?” 

“Nevermind,” I brush off “it doesn’t matter yet. I’ll go shower.” 

“Elena.” he sighs 

“Yes ?” I reply “That’s my name.” I joke 

“Are you sure nothing’s bothering you ?” 

“Certain.” I nod “Get dressed, you need to get back to work.” 

We both get up and I kiss him to shut his mouth and keep him from asking more questions. I then run to the bathroom and while I’m under the shower I hear my lover knock on the door. 

“Elena ?” 

“Yes ?” 

“I have to leave.” he explains, opening the door to talk to me in an easier way “I’m running downstairs to my office, I have some urgent business to deal with. I’m sorry. Do as you please : you can stay for a while longer, or leave. Don’t forget to pick up your ID at the security booth.” 

“I won’t.” I chuckle “Can I get a kiss, before you run away ?” I ask, pushing the shower curtain aside 

“Of course.” 

He grins and he kisses me tenderly on the mouth. 

“I left clothes on the bed for you, honey.” he tells me “There’s belts in the drawer of my closet if you need one. I love you, have a good day, send me a text when you leave.” 

He reluctantly pulls away from me and walks away without looking back and I finish taking my shower, taking longer than usual. In the bedroom, I laugh to see that Gerald even thought about finding underwear for me. He drew out boxers, jeans and a pullover for me. I have to roll the end of the legs from the jeans, and borrow a belt from my boyfriend, but overall, I don’t look that bad. It’s acceptable at least. I’m closing the straps of my shoes with one hand and sending a text to my boyfriend with the other. 

Elena : I’m leaving. Thanks for the clothes, I look amazing in them. I’m leaving my clothes from yesterday here, I’ll pick them up next time. Have an amazing day, Gerald.    
I love you <3 

I smirk when I realize he answered me only seconds later : 

G.D. : I love you too <3 

With a smile on my lips, I gather my belongings and prepare myself to leave. This date, once again has been more than amazing and I couldn’t have dreamed for better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think about this long chapter ? The arrival of Elena at the restaurant ? The date in the starred restaurant ? The teasing between them ? Gerald wanting to bring her to Tourcoing ? Them not being ready to go public just yet ? The sexual tension between them ? The foreplay ? The very hot sex against the wall ? The first "I love you" ? Gerald reciprocating those words ? Not showering together ? Watching together the pictures taken by Elena ? Gerald really loving one of the Bercy pics ? Elena promising to have it printed for him ? The discussion about Gerald becoming Interior Minister and his ambition ? Falling asleep together ? Elena waking up alone (again) in the bed ? Her joining Gerald working in the kitchen ? The contraception talk ? Gerald suggesting she leaves some clothes at his place ? The sweatshirt "incident" ? The morning sex on the kitchen table ? Gerald picking up clothes for Elena while she showers ? Him having to run away for work ? Their sweet texts before she leaves ? 
> 
> What do you expect in the coming chapters ? More sweet things ? More sex ? Some drama ? ^^


	5. Surprise !

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter than the usual ones, but you'll see it's good nonetheless, and I'm sure you'll love it ! 
> 
> Don't forget to let me know what you thought about it, either in the comments or by any other means, as usual :D

I knock on the glass door of the security booth and Gerald’s chief security officer lifts his eyes, very surprised to see me here. He nods, allowing me to enter and I step inside the security office. 

“Miss Elena,” he says “we weren’t expecting you… Or were we ?” 

He turns to his colleagues, wondering if one of them forgot to pass the information when he should have. 

“Don’t blame them, I am not supposed to be here. Well, I wasn’t expected,” I nervously chuckle “is Gerald here ? Do you think I could see him ?” 

“The boss is in his office.” says one of the officers “Should we call him to let him know you’re here ?” 

“No, please, I’d like it to stay a surprise.” I answer, seeing he is ready to pick up the landline to let Gerald know I’m on my way 

“I will check if he is available.” says the chief of security 

“You can let him know there’s a delivery for him.” I smirk, showing the package underneath my arm 

I let him call inside the Ministry and five minutes later he grabs his keys and jacket and tells me : 

“I’m coming with you, I can’t let you wander around the Ministry on your own, young lady.” 

“Of course.” I smile, drawing my ID out of my pocket and placing it on his desk as usual “Let’s go.” 

We cross the courtyard together and he asks me : 

“Have you been in his office already ?” 

“No, not yet. Only in his apartment.”

“You’re lucky we are on a quiet day, and you’re coming on an evening. There are fewer people than usual, and you shouldn’t have to cross paths with all of his team. Unless that’s what you wanted ?”

“Oh no !” I chuckle, as we enter into the building, saying hello to the people working there “We agreed on keeping our relationship as low-key as possible for now, so we’d rather have me under the radars for now.” 

“Very understandable.” he smiles 

We’re going upstairs and are greeted with another security officer ready to cut our way. 

“It’s fine,” says the man walking with me “she’s going to see the boss, it’s all arranged. Miss Elena, you can go, second door on your right in that corridor.” 

“Thank you.” 

I smile at him and walk towards the said door as he keeps talking with his colleague. I knock on the door and hear the sweet voice of my boyfriend answer from inside the office : 

“Come in !” 

I place the gift I had underneath my arm in front of my face before opening the door and I announce : 

“There’s a delivery for you, Minister.” 

“Elena,” he chuckles “you can remove that thing from your face, I know it’s you.” 

I laugh and lower it, discovering his office for the first time. My boyfriend is sitting at his desk, very seriously working on his laptop, glasses on his nose. 

“What are you doing here ?” he questions me as I close the door after me, checking that we are indeed alone in the room 

“I thought I could drop by and surprise you,” I answer, closing the distance between us “and I picked that up, after work.” I add placing the gift on his desk 

He frowns, but before focusing on what I brought, he gets up and he places a hand on my cheek, a smile on his lips. We stay like that for a few seconds, simply gazing at each other, until he closes the distance and kisses me on the lips, tenderly, with a lot of devotion. 

“Hmmm,” I moan “kisses like that are the best.” 

“I agree.” he whispers “The best.” 

He kisses me for a bit longer and he then takes back his seat, while I sit on the edge of his desk, facing him, my back to the entrance door. He pushes his laptop aside and draws the package I brought closer. It’s flat, the size of a poster, and wrapped in kraft paper. He frowns and I tell him : 

“Open it, idiot. It’s for you.” 

“You shouldn’t insult the Interior Minister, you know.” he says “Especially in his office.” 

“Don’t tell me the walls have ears.” I joke “I won’t believe you.” 

“No, but I might get pissed off.” 

“You won’t.” I tease him “Open the damn thing now…”

I cross my arms on my chest and wait for him to tear off the kraft paper. I had the Bercy picture print on high-quality photography paper and framed for him. I picked it up after work and headed straight here, wanting to share this surprise, that isn’t really one, with him. The look on his face when he finally understands what I brought is priceless : from surprise to delight, through emotion. He seems moved by the fact that I took the time to deliver it in person and he takes advantage of throwing the wrapping paper in the bin to steal a kiss from my lips. 

“It looks even more incredible on paper.” he tells me, admiring the picture “And it will look wonderful on one of those walls.” 

He looks up and around, looking for the perfect place for it. 

“Up there.” I say pointing at a free space next to the door “That’s the most perfect spot for it.” 

“I trust the artist on that point.” 

“I’m barely an artist.” I brush off 

“You are. And thank you, darling, I love it.” 

“You are going to be in trouble, with all the people coming into your office you know,” I suddenly realize “having to justify why there’s a picture of your former working place on the wall…” 

We both laugh and I lean forward to kiss him once again. I am glad he likes my surprise, and I am glad we can grab these few minutes together. 

“Did I interrupt you into something important ?” I ask 

“More or less. But we can spend some time together, and I’ll work later, that won’t be a problem.” 

“I feel like whenever we’re trying to grab a moment, it will be diverting you from important work, am I wrong ?” 

“Not really.” he explains “But we’ll manage to find the proper balance.” 

“We’ll find that balance together, Gerald.” I tell him 

His hand comes on my knee and I shiver. I am wearing a pair of shorts, and thights, and the warmth of his hand on my skin made my whole body react. I intertwine fingers with him and we smile at each other. 

“You really have a nice office. How come I never got the chance to get a tour of the Ministry ?” 

“Would you… would you like that ?” he frowns “I didn’t think you’d be interested. And I usually try to keep my private life apart from my professional one…” 

“By fucking me upstairs, while your collaborators are working here ?” I joke “Very separate, indeed. And yes, I’d like to have a tour, one day.” 

He is about to answer me when a door I failed to notice up to now bursts open after a few knocks and a woman enters. Gerald removes his hand from my leg faster than a supersonic plane, and I get up on my feet, recognizing her as Gerald’s colleague : Marlène Schiappa. 

“Sorry,” she says “I didn’t know you weren’t alone.” 

“It’s fine.” answers Gerald “Good that you dropped by, Elena, please meet Marlène, Marlène, this is Elena, my…”

“Friend.” I abruptly say, shaking hands with the woman in front of me, avoiding the embarrassment of Gerald spilling the beans of our relationship to his colleague “A real pleasure to meet you. I have been an admirer of your engagement to women’s rights and empowerment.” 

“Oh, a feminist, I see ?” she reacts “Pretty unusual around here if I may.” 

We both look at Gerald who blushes slightly and I add : 

“I wouldn’t label myself as a feminist. I even hate that word, but I strongly believe we can do more for gender equality and all sorts of inequities in the world. Women, LGBTQ, and minorities deserve to have their voices heard.” 

“I couldn’t agree more.” she grins 

Turning to her colleague she adds : 

“I came to tell you that I was on my way home, I didn’t imagine you’d be with someone.” 

“Elena came to drop off a photograph,” he says, motionning Marlène forward so she can see the picture on the desk “she’s talented, you see…” 

The compliment makes me blush heavily and I exchange a glance discreetly with my partner behind Marlène’s back. She stepped closer to the desk and she is inspecting the framed picture, appreciating the composition and colors, nodding in an appreciative way. 

“I like it,” she smiles “you are indeed talented, Elena. Where are you going to put it, Gerald ?” 

“Up there, by the door.” he says 

“Oh,” reacts Marlène “so that everyone will get the chance to see it ? Interesting choice.” 

She looks at me, then at Gerald and I know in this moment she has understood there is more than friendship linking Gerald and I, but she won’t try to know more as we are clearly not ready to say anything about it yet. 

“I have to go,” she says “my daughters are waiting for me. It was a pleasure to meet you, Elena. Gerald, see you tomorrow.” 

“See you tomorrow.” he answers 

“Good evening.” I politely add 

She leaves through the door she came in and Gerald lets escape a tiny sigh of relief when she closes the door behind herself. I take my seat back on his desk, still facing him, and his hand comes back onto my leg, calmly stroking my thigh, up and down, with no ulterior motive. 

“You know,” he smirks “you don’t have to be toady with my colleagues…” 

“I wasn’t.” I frown “I meant what I said to her. Of course she’s not the one I could get the friendliest with, that’s for sure… but I meant what I said.” 

“That means you do have opinions and ideas about other members of the government ?” 

I bite my lower lip and hate myself for what I just said. I can’t answer that question. I know it will trigger my boyfriend’s jealousy, and I don’t want us to argue. Especially not about something that’s not worth it… 

“When do you think you’ll get the picture hung on the wall ?” I ask, trying to change topic 

“Elena,” he growls “don’t even try. You either told too much, or not enough… Who ? Who amongst my colleagues would you hypothetically like to meet ?” 

“Besides the President, of course,” I sigh, giving up on trying to hide the truth from my partner “let’s say… that… the Health Minister looks really interesting.” 

I said those last words looking down at the floor, unable to look at my boyfriend. I know he is possessive and jealous, and I know that he is not the best of friends with Olivier Véran, the Minister of Health… It will, for certain, make him mad, but he insisted on me telling the truth. 

“Aaah…” he sighs “What can I do when there’s a handsome and sexy Olivier in the game ?” 

“Gerald,” I say, looking up towards him “you know that’s not what I meant.” 

“Oh, my dear, you meant it.” 

“No, not like that.” I vehemently deny “You know, you silly idiot, that you are the one that I love. Sure, Olivier Véran is handsome, and of course, he doesn’t let anyone indifferent, but he can not compare to you.” 

“Really ?” 

I can read a lot of jealousy in his eyes, and I nod. Of course I only love him. And no one else. There is no doubt about this. I bring my hand to his face, and I stroke calmly his cheek with my thumb. 

“Of course, Gerald. There is only you.” 

“But, if you had met him, you’d be dating him right now, and not me ?”

“Honey…” I sigh “I met you. Besides, he’s in a couple, and very happy from what I’ve heard. And I love you. Don’t force me to say it once more…” 

“I’m… Yes.” he concedes “I believe you.” 

He gets up and he kisses me on the mouth, with force, trying to reassure himself on our relationship. 

“You’re a moron, Gerald.” I joke “My heart beats for you, and only for you.” 

“I’m jealous.” he groans “And I don’t like you having thoughts about my colleagues. Especially as you’ll probably at one point or another run into them.” 

“But I love you, and whomever I ran into won’t change my feelings for you.” 

He chuckles and we keep kissing. I feel his hand travel up my leg, towards the hem of my shorts and I stop him before he can get there. 

“No, Gerald. Not here, and not tonight.” 

“Come on…” he tries to convince me “Don’t tell me you’re not a little bit tempted…” 

“I’m very much tempted.” I say “But you’re wanting this for the wrong reasons. I won’t have sex with you because of your jealousy. Besides, I have to be gone in…” I check my watch and finish my sentence “fifteen minutes at the latest. I’m going to…”

“See a play.” he finishes for me “I had forgotten. What is it about, again ?” 

“The Arab revolution,” I explain “it’s a modern take on how people can change history. I bet it’s going to be good.” 

“I guess it’s going to be good, indeed.” 

He smiles at me but I can read some disappointment in his eyes. I steal a kiss from his lips and say : 

“We’ll find another day to have very wild sex in your office, if that’s what you really want. Even if I doubt this is the cleverest thing to do.” 

“That’s probably not very clever indeed.” he laughs “You’ll text me when you get back home, to let me know how was the play ?” 

“Yes, for sure. Are you going to work late ?” 

“Do you see the piles of signature books over there ?” he asks me, pointing at four heavy piles on chairs aligned against the wall “My chief of cabinet asked me to reduce the pile, at least by half before tomorrow…” 

“Oh. You’re in for most of the night.” 

“I know.” he sighs “I usually keep that for the weekends, but I guess I let too much of them pile up and it’s getting out of hand.” 

“Talking about weekends,” I smirk “are you free this weekend ?” 

“I have to travel back up to Tourcoing.” he says to me with an apologetic smile “I would have taken you with me, but I have a lot of official visits scheduled, and it is not going to be fun for you.” 

“Another time ?” I suggest, to ease his mind “I understand that it’s not an easy thing to do, don’t worry.” 

“I don’t deserve to have a girlfriend as perfect as you.” he smiles 

“I’m not perfect. But I’m trying to be as understanding as possible. That is what I have to do if I want our relationship to last.” 

“I hate that it can’t be simpler than that, and thank you for being so understanding. My exes weren’t.” 

“Your exes were idiots.” I joke “And now I really have to go, or I’ll be late.” 

“Can I have one last kiss before you abandon me ?” 

“I’m not abandoning you, Gerald.” I laugh

I kiss him tenderly, letting my hand linger on his cheek for far longer than necessary. This little stop here at the Ministry was great for both of us, and maybe we can work on stealing more moments like that in the days to come. 

“Oh, by the way,” I say as I’m about to go away “Marlène has doubts about us, so expect some questions in the coming days, maybe.” 

“She won’t ask anything. She knows my private life has to stay private, until I decide otherwise.” replies Gerald, setting the frame with the photography aside so he can resume his working “Have a good evening, my sweet Elena.” 

“Have a good evening too, Gerald.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ? What did you think of this (short) chapter ?   
> Elena coming to surprise her boyfriend at the Ministry ? The security service allowing her to go in even if she's not expected ? Gerald being very happy to see her ? The gift she brought ? Elena wanting to have a tour of the Ministry ? Marlène bursting in on them ? The two women being introduced to each other ? Gerald nearly introducing Elena as his girlfriend but Elena preventing him to do so ? The discussion about Gerald's colleagues afterwards ? Elena confessing about Olivier ? Gerald's jealousy being triggered ? How Elena has to reassure him on her feelings ? How he agrees on trusting her ? Her preventing him from taking things further ? The sweet, sweet ending of this chapter ? 
> 
> What do you expect for the chapters to come ? More sweetness ? More steam ? More jealousy ? Some drama ? Tell me everything !


	6. Sunday night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer & cuter than I initially planned it to be... I hope you'll like it. There's one bit that wille make you say "OH MY GOD" (I hope).

I groan when I hear my phone buzzing on the wooden table in the kitchen as I am watching a movie on my laptop in my bed, but the notification noise made my heart skip a beat. It’s Gerald. I programmed my phone to make this very special sound when I receive a message from my boyfriend, so I know when he’s texting me. I jump out of bed, nearly kicking the laptop down on my way off, and I try to calm my erratic heartbeat. We’re Sunday evening, we haven’t seen each other for days, and I secretly hope that Gerald is back in Paris after his weekend in his hometown, and asking me to drop by. I grab my phone to check the text I received as I lean against the countertop. 

G.D. : Are you home ? 

Me : Of course I am, where else would I be ?

G.D. : Good. 

Good ? What does it mean ? I frown hard and bite my lower lip, awaiting an explanation that doesn’t seem to come. Will he ask me to come for the night ? Will he drop by for the night ? I don’t know, and the suspense is killing me. I sigh in relief when he finally sends me another text.

G.D. : I’ll have someone drop you something off. I’m sorry we can’t see each other tonight, but I’m coming back home with a lot of work. I’ll call you later. Love you. 

Me : Love you too. 

I’m disappointed that we don’t get to see each other, but as I said to him countless times : I’ll learn to live with the fact that his work is time-consuming and that our relationship will have to work off the boundaries of this. I glance at the travel bag next to the door, ready to be taken to the Ministry for the next time I’ll spend the night there ; depending on who Gerald sends, maybe I will entrust that person to bring that bag back to him. I made up my mind during the weekend about leaving some clothes at Gerald’s place : it will be far more convenient for both of us, and it will spare us the energy of looking for something decent in his closet for me to wear in the mornings. There’s no real commitment involved in this decision, and yet, I feel like it’s a huge step forward already in our relationship. I went shopping yesterday to buy some new clothes and underwear to leave at my boyfriend’s place, and I did the laundry, so that all the clothes I borrowed from him are clean, dry and ready to be returned to him. I go back to my movie and twenty minutes later someone knocks on my door. I get up to open and find myself in front of Gerald’s chief of security, grinning at me, bearing two heavy packs of beers : one in each hand. 

“I guess I should have predicted that,” I chuckle “please come in.” 

I open the door wider and step aside to let him in, waving towards the kitchen table so he can drop the beers on it. 

“Gerald insisted on you having something decent to drink,” explains the man “I presume you don’t have beers in your apartment ?” 

“I have supermarket beer,” I say “and it went awfully wrong the last time we tasted it.” 

“That explains his insistence on finding good beers all weekend long, then.” nods the bodyguard “There’s one pack of stout and one pack of white. He told me, as I went with him on his little shopping trip, that those were your favorites.” 

“He remembered ?”

I am plainly shocked that Gerald remembered me telling him that I have oddly specific tastes in beers, but I am moved by the fact he took some time off this weekend to buy some for us to share the next time he comes to my place. Which might never happen, carefully thought. 

“Do you need help to store them, Miss Elena ?” asks the man, standing next to my kitchen table, hands in his back 

“I’ll be fine, thanks.”

I smile at him, and as he is about to go away I tell him : 

“If you’re going to the Ministry, would you mind bringing that travel bag back to Gerald, please ? He’ll know what it’s about.” 

“Of course.” 

He grabs the handle of the bag and seems surprised by the weight of it. 

“Actually,” I say again “do you have time for a drink ? Or does Gerald expect you to be back in five minutes ?” 

“He sent me here and told me to take care of the delivery, he didn’t specify anything.” hesitates the guard “But… I’m not sure…”

“Please, Fabien,” I try, using his first name to convince him “I’d like to speak with you about your boss.” 

He sighs and places the travel bag back on the floor. He follows me back to the kitchen and I store the packs of beers underneath the sink. 

“What do you want to drink ? A beer ? A coffee ? Some tea ?” 

“I’ll stick to water, thanks.” nods the man 

“Water it is, then.” 

He seems nervous, and has not sat down yet. I invite him to take a seat and bring two glasses of water to the table. I sit down across of him and tell him : 

“Please, don’t see that as some sort of trap. But you’re one of the only ones I know who would talk to me about Gerald in all honesty.” 

“I’m not sure I’m supposed to talk about my boss, you know.” he chuckles “But see this as a favor.” 

“Thank you. I know it’s a tiny bit borderline, but everything is borderline in this relationship.” 

“Indeed.” 

“Security-wise,” I say “I’m a problem for you ?” 

“I wouldn’t say a problem,” he corrects “but ensuring you are both safe in a restaurant is a bit complicated, yes. But that is part of our tasks, and we are happy to fulfill them.” 

“Yet, you’d prefer us to meet behind closed doors ?”

“In an ideal world, we’d lock the boss up in an ivory tower and make sure he never gets out. But we know that’s not really possible. So we learned to manage the risk.” 

“I see… I guess you won’t answer that question but… has he been seeing a lot of other women before me ?”

“None that counted.” 

We exchange a glance and he smirks. That’s the answer I needed to hear, but I trust him on telling me the truth nonetheless. 

“You know how busy he can be. Having someone in his life is complicated.” 

“I know, I have perfectly well understood that my relationship with Gerald will be a challenge.” 

His face, and the sad smile he gives me make me ask : 

“Is there something else you’d like to say to me ?” 

He shrugs and drinks parts of his glass before answering : 

“It is not my role to say such things. Neither would it be very appropriate.” 

“I won’t tell Gerald, I swear.” 

“You told it yourself, your life will be challenging if you date the boss…” 

I feel like he wants to tell me more than this, but he needs a little push to open up more and abandon his initial reluctance. 

“Fabien,” I tell him “given our ages, you could easily be my dad. What would you say to me if I was your daughter, and that I was dating Gerald ?”

“Quit him while you still can.” he says unequivocally 

“What if it’s too late ? What if I already have feelings for him ?” I reply, trying to push this discussion as far as possible 

“You’re young, you’re pretty, you’ll find someone else. Someone less complicated…” 

Silence settles between us and he avoids meeting my eyes, preferring playing with his glass between his fingers. He’s probably right : this relationship will be a nightmare to live, but I fell in love with Gerald in a way I didn’t think was possible. And I fear it is too late already. 

“But,” he adds after a long while “if you are really certain about your feelings, young lady. If you know deep down in your heart that he is the one… I have to tell you that Gerald is one of the most caring men I’ve ever met.” 

He punctues his sentence with a little smile and looks up at me. He then keeps talking : 

“Whether with the staff, his team, the people he meets in his duty or the friends he receives at the Ministry, he is kind and makes sures everyone feels welcome. I never heard him raise his voice at anyone. And you know how committed he is to everything he’s doing, yet, he still found some time this weekend to go buy two packs of beer especially for you.” 

“He’s incredible.” 

“He’s very special,” nods Gerald’s security agent “but you will have to endure his absence most of the time, phone calls in the middle of the night, being disturbed by work while you’re together, not being able to choose where you spend your holidays or your weekends, or sometimes even where you eat. And needless to say that privacy will be out of your vocabulary and your life once you will be officially dating and out to the public eye…” 

“I know all of that. And I am ready to embrace it.” 

“If I may say, and I believe you won’t mind me saying that in all honesty, you are very young, and you don’t realize the sacrifices you will have to make to keep this relationship going.” 

“But I know,” I sigh “deep down in my heart, that he is the one. There is no hesitation between us, and we haven’t been so confident or happy ever before. He’s the one, and no matter the lifestyle, I’ll make it mine.” 

“You are very reasonable, and strong-minded. I do hope this will work between you two, because the boss really is happy lately.”

“You’ve noticed a difference ?” I smirk 

“Yes.” he nods with a little smile “He smiles more, he stares at his phone for long minutes without saying a word, and there is those little changes in his habits, like this spontaneous trip he did this weekend, or the dates you have at the restaurant with him.” 

“Should I deduce that he did not usually take other women on dates ?” 

“I haven’t really got the chance to know him for a long time before you entered his life, but in the few months I was in charge of his security, dates were not part of his vocabulary. Hookups yes, romanticism and dates not so much.” 

“I see.” 

I finish my glass of water and ask him : 

“What could I do to ease the work for you guys, when I go out with Gerald ?” 

“Warn us as much as possible in advance of your plans. We’ll take care of the rest.” 

“I’ll try my best.” I chuckle 

“Has he planned to take you to Tourcoing in the coming future ?”

“He’s considering it, yes. Why ?”

“Because that’s when he’s really himself. I mean… When he can really be the ordinary man he wants to be. Once you’ve seen him there, you’ll know the real him. Without the protocol, the overly developed security we have here in Paris,and him having to be on duty all the time.” 

“Then I’m looking forward to be there with him.” 

He smiles at me and gives a quick glance at the clock on the wall. 

“I have to go now, or the boss will wonder where I have vanished.” 

“Can we agree on keeping this little chat between us ?”

“Yes, of course, Miss Elena.” 

“Thank you for staying, and talking with me.” 

“Always a pleasure.” 

He grabs the travel bag on the way out, and less than a minute later, he’s gone. I’m glad he agreed to talk with me a little about Gerald. He’s one of those who knows him the best, being with him all day long, and it gave me a good insight on what to expect for the future. And an outside look on our relationship. I send a text to my boyfriend to thank him for the gift : 

Me : Thank you for the beers, it’s a good idea actually. I hope your weekend was good, call me when you can. 

The answer comes to me less than five minutes later : 

G.D. : Keep your phone at hand, I’m going to call you as soon as I can. 

I slip my cellphone in the pocket of my trousers and go back to my bed to finish the movie I was watching. Twenty minutes later, it rings and I immediately pick up the call. 

“Good evening, my sweet Elena.” says Gerald to me, with a playful tone 

“Good evening, dear Minister. How was your day ?” 

“Kind of exhausting, but I’m glad to finally have you over the phone. How did you find my little surprise ?”

“You mean Fabien ?” I joke “Delighting, as usual. Keep sending me your bodyguards, I love them.” 

“You’re…” 

“Yes ?” I react “You were going to insult me, right ?” 

“Maybe, yes.” he admits “But good point that you get along with my security service.” 

“And for the beers, thanks again. Excellent idea, and thank you for remembering my very odd taste in this special beverage, and for taking the time to go buy some.” 

“How could I forget that ?” he laughs “You are my very special girlfriend, I’ve kept information about you in mind.” 

“Good to know.” 

We both laugh and Gerald adds : 

“What are you doing tonight ?” 

“Waiting for you to come see me ?” I suggest 

“If only.” 

“More seriously, I was watching a movie, but I’m done with it, and I have nothing else planned tonight. What about you ?” 

“Signature books, mostly, if my chief of cabinet does not interrupt me with something more urgent.” 

“That’s your weekend task ?” 

“Usually, yes, so that the mail can be sent on Mondays. It’s a bit of a boring task to do, and I have to be really cautious, because my attention decreases quickly in the evenings, but music usually helps…”

“What type ?”

“Depends on my mood,” he replies “tonight I’m leaning towards Brassens or Brel. Sometimes I’m more on military music, or classical, sometimes I get myself on something more joyful…” 

“You’re very surprising Gerald.” I chuckle “But I love that. If you feel inclined to share your playlist with me, please do so. I guess I’m going to write a little after my shower, or maybe I could read.” 

“Don’t forget to eat, too.” he jokes 

“Do I have to ?” I sigh 

“Will I have to fight you on your eating habits, Elena ?” 

“Says the man who literally has one yoghurt and expired mayonnaise in his fridge, and nothing else.” 

“You have a point,” he concedes “but you still need to eat. What do you want tonight ? Sushi ? Pizza ? Burger ?” 

“Are you really going to order food so that you’re sure I eat ?” 

“Maybe.” 

He laughs and I sigh. I walk up to my fridge, open it to check that there is nothing that is due to eat urgently in it and I finally say to him : 

“I guess I can’t say no to pizza. Will you hand-deliver it ?” 

“I wish I could. Ham and cheese as usual for your pizza ?” 

“Yes, of course.” 

I shake my head in disbelief. Is he really ordering me a pizza to make sure I eat ? That’s silly. But adorable. 

“Please take one for you as well,” I tell my boyfriend “unless you ate already.” 

“I’m going to order one as well, don’t worry.” 

He chuckles and I hear him type on his laptop keyboard. A satisfied hum concludes his order and he announces : 

“Dinner will be at your place in ten minutes.” 

“Thank you so much, darling.” I grin “At least I’ll have dinner. I would have prefered to have you, but I guess dinner is good too.” 

“What if I join you once I’m done with work ?” 

“Wait… would you really do that ?” 

“I just checked my agenda,” he chuckles “and it turns out I am apparently visiting a police unit not far from where you live at nine thirty tonight.” 

“What a coincidence.” I snort 

“I am not the one planning those visits, my cabinet is.” 

“And you forgot that visit ?” I frown 

“I must have missed the memo. So… May I join you for the night afterwards ?” 

“Of course.” 

“I’ll warn you in advance, though : I will have to be gone at five thirty tomorrow morning, I have an early meeting at the Ministry at six.” 

“As long as I don’t have to get up at the same time as you,” I joke “you are more than welcome to join me.” 

“I’ll see you later then.”

“I’m very much looking forward to it.” 

“Good. Now excuse me, I have to check with my chief of cabinet why I was not informed of tonight’s visit. Or rather why it escaped my mind and wasn’t brought back to my attention.”

I laugh and we hang up on this lighter note. I’m relieved to know that my boyfriend will join me for the night. However short this night might be, it’s still stolen moments, and that is worth the world. I put a pair of sneakers on to go downstairs wait for the delivery of my pizza and pocket my phone in case the delivery guy gets lost, or my boyfriend decides on calling me back. When the man on the motorbike stops in front of me, with my pizza in the trunk, he lifts his helmet and asks me : 

“Are you Elena Darmanin ?”

“I… Hmm… Yes, yes that’s me.” I answer, blushing heavily, clearing my throat to hide my embarrassment 

Not in the slightest realizing that I am mortified he hands me my dinner, and drives away. I stay petrified on the pavement, the words echoing in my head again and again. Elena Darmanin. Darmanin. Why did he use his last name for the order ? I climb the stairs back up to my apartment, still completely bewildered by this strange thing and before eating my dinner, I send a text to my boyfriend. 

Me : You’re an idiot. 

I expect no immediate answer, and I try to focus on something else while I eat my pizza. I then grab my laptop and work on some fanfictions and I’m completely forgetting about it until I hear knocks on my door. I look down at the time on the bottom corner of my screen and realize I have been writing for two hours and a half straight. I get up from my chair, stretch my arms and open the door. My boyfriend grins and asks : 

“Is the idiot allowed to come in ?” 

“Yes, come.” 

I grab him by his tie and drag him inside the flat, nodding politely at the security agent in front of the door, before shutting the said-door close on him. Gerald grabs me by the waist and his lips find mine in a sweet, passionate kiss. One of my arms wraps around his neck, the other one slides around his waist, and he makes me walk back until I lean against the table. We are still kissing, and we only stop when short of breath. Gerald keeps his forehead against mine and says : 

“May I know now why you insulted me by message ?”

“Elena Darmanin.” I answer in a whisper “That is the name you gave for the pizza delivery.” 

“Oh.” he smirks “That…” 

He laughs and I can’t help but burst out into laughter myself. I am still very embarrassed by the fact he associated his family name with my first name, but he is very proud of his joke, and the delivery man didn’t seem to link me and the name he had under the eyes. 

“Seriously though,” I say “Elena Darmanin ?”

“Don’t you like how it sounds ?” reacts my boyfriend 

“I do but… doesn’t it sound a bit rushed ?”

“One day you‘ll be bearing my name, Elena. So what’s the problem with taking a little shortcut ?”

I open and close my mouth several times, unable to articulate coherent words. Did he really said what I believe he said ? Me, with his name ? Not that it would displease me of course, but this is not something we talked about before...

“Is that an official proposal ?” I chuckle nervously “Because I’m expecting something nicer, you know, and a ring.” I joke to dismiss the tension I feel rising in me 

“Oh no,” he laughs “that’s not a proposal. You’ll get the nice dinner and the ring in due time. I’m just saying out loud that one day I will put a ring on your finger.” 

Once again, I am too surprised and too shocked to say anything. Gerald leans towards me and tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. He smiles and kisses me tenderly before adding : 

“I had my own little talk with Fabien and…”

“Oh, he told you, didn’t he ?” I cringe. 

“Did you really think you could hold back my bodyguard for half an hour without me knowing ?” he chuckles “Of course he told me you two had a little conversation. But he refused to tell me much about it, except that, according to you, I’m the one… The one true love of your life. So it’s only fair I reciprocate : I love you Elena, and to me too you’re the one. My life without you would be meaningless, and I intend to make you mine in all the meanings of that word.” 

“I… I don’t know what to say.” 

“You don’t have to say anything, honey.” 

We exchange one new kiss and as I bring my hands to loosen my partner’s tie from around his neck he stops me and says : 

“No sex tonight.” 

“And you’re the one saying that ?” I react with surprise 

“I’m exhausted, it’s late, and I’m getting up early tomorrow.” he justifies “And I’d much rather spend some quiet time in your arms.” 

“Who are you and what did you do to my Gerald ?” I laugh 

“Sorry,” he replies “I guess I’m tired.” 

“It’s fine. May I remove your tie anyway ?” 

“Of course.” 

I untie the piece of fabric and drop it on the table next to us. I open the first few buttons of his shirt and ask him : 

“Do you want something to drink ? To eat ? How was the police visit by the way ?” 

I escape his arms while he answers and put some water to boil in the kettle to prepare some tea. 

“Do you have coffee here ?” 

“Instant one only.” I cringe

“I’ll have some tea with you then.” 

He removes his jacket, throws it on the back of a chair, and sits down at the kitchen table, waiting for the cup of tea I promised him. He opens the sleeves buttons of his shirt and rolls his sleeves up before talking. I bite my lower lip, trying not to stare, but I find him even more handsome like this. 

“And the police visit went well,” he explains “police forces are always very happy and honored when their Minister come see them on the field. I try to do that as often as possible, not always with journalists around, not even with my own communication service around sometimes, but I need to feel the pulse of the precincts, to hear what they have to say in all honesty, to listen to their complaints, to see what we can do to help them in the most efficient way possible.” 

“Did they have things to tell you ?”

“Loads of things.” 

I bring the two mugs of tea to the table and I sit in front of him, my hand brushing against his, while it cools down and as we keep chatting.

“We talked about those cameras we hope to have all police officers equipped by the end of the presidential mandate, and the technical difficulties it would be for them with the actual existing devices. They insisted on the the insecurity they face on a daily basis and I reminded them that it is my duty to make sure they are safe to do their job, and we also talked about how proud they are to wear the uniform. Most of the men and women I met tonight are very young, you see. I think some of them were even younger than you, and I can’t face the idea that I am the one placing them in risky situations if they are not equipped and prepared accordingly.” 

“But I am sure you are providing them with all the necessary equipment and formation.” 

“We are trying to.” 

He pauses for a while, lost in his thoughts, gazing through the window on the roofs of Paris. I bring him back to reality by taking his hand in mine. 

“You are a great Minister, Gerald. You want the best for your men, and you’ll manage.” 

“Excuse me,” he apologizes “I’m really tired tonight.” 

“I get that.” 

I smile and he smiles back at me, holding my hand a bit tighter. We drink our tea talking about what I did in the evening, and it helps us both relax. He is smiling more and more, and he looks less tired when we decide on going to bed. 

“Do you want to take a shower ?” 

“I will take one tomorrow at the Ministry.” he tells me “But you can take one, if you want to, I’ll wait for you in bed.” 

“You’re sure you don’t mind ?” 

“I really don’t.” 

He grins and sits down on the edge of the bed to remove his shoes. I lean towards him to steal a long kiss from his lips before running to the bathroom to take a quick shower. When I come back to him fifteen minutes later, he is indeed waiting for me : wearing only his boxers, he is typing something on his phone. 

“An emergency ?” 

“No, family business.” 

“Oh ?” 

“Yes,” he chuckles “that happens sometimes too.” 

“You still haven’t told them about us, right ?” 

“I haven’t told anyone, we agreed on keeping this a secret, and I’m too happy with you being my little secret.” 

I smirk and join him into bed. I’m wearing a pajama made of a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and as I climb over Gerald to get into my side of the bed, his hand slides along the back of my thigh. 

“Hey !” I protest “Dirty boy.” 

“No sex doesn’t mean I don’t get to enjoy, right ?” he jokes 

“You’re insufferable.” 

I lie down next to him and he places his cellphone on the nightstand next to the bed. 

“Did you program the alarm for tomorrow ?” I ask 

“Obviously. I’ll do my best not to wake you up, darling.”

“I’m so glad we get to sleep together, you know.” 

“I feel the same, and we will try to grab as much time possible together as we can. By the way, what about Friday end of afternoon for our next date ?” 

“There’s a crunch.” I cringe 

“I’m sorry ?” he reacts 

“Rugby game. France versus England ? Please, don’t tell me you don’t know what a crunch is.” 

“I… Hmm…”

I sigh in disbelief and tell him : 

“The game is at six in the evening, and I very much intend to watch it. But you’re welcome to watch it with me.” 

“Here ?” 

“In a bar ?” I suggest 

“Oh, the security service is going to kill us both for this. But… I’ll try to see if we can make that happen.” 

“I’d be delighted to share that with you. But don’t make them too angry, okay ? If it’s not possible, that’s okay too, and we’ll see each other after the game.” 

“So it’s the game before me.” 

“You can’t say no to a crunch.” 

“Are you sure it’s the rugby, or is it the rugby players ?” he teases me 

He wrapped his arms around me to keep me as close as possible from him and I blush slightly. 

“You are jealous for nothing. Even though rugby players are usually very fit and handsome.” 

“I knew it !” he exclaims “You have a weakness for those handsome rugby players, don’t you ?” 

“No, I don’t. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I have a ‘weakness’ for them. But it’s nice to see them play. And I have always been interested in rugby.” 

“Oh ?” says my lover, arching an eyebrow 

“Yes, I do. I have been watching rugby since my teenage years.”

“Surprising as always, I love that.” 

Gerald kisses me on the forehead and he barely manages to hide his yawning right after that. 

“Time to sleep now, sleepyhead.” I joke “You told me yourself that you were exhausted.” 

“Yes.”

We exchange one more kiss, and I snuggle closer to him, my head in his neck, fingers intertwined with his. 

“I love you, Gerald.” I mumble in his ear “I love you so much.” 

“I know, darling. I know that.” he whispers in response, holding me even closer “Sleep now.” 

We both close our eyes and fall asleep not long after, rocked by the sound of our hearts beating strong and fast for each other. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo ? What did you think of this chapter ? 
> 
> Elena missing Gerald and hoping he'll ask her if they can see each other now that he's back from Tourcoing ? Gerald not being able to free his evening ? Him sending his chief of security with a little surprise ? Elena having made up her mind about leaving clothes at Gerald's place ? The beers ? The fact he remembered Elena's tastes ? The fact he took time off of his weekend to go buy some ? Elena tricking Fabien into staying to have a little discussion ? The chief of security being honest about the nightmare it will be for Elena to date Gerald ? Him telling her to leave Gerald ? Then him adding that Gerald is a very good man ? Elena confiding she is certain about her feelings ? The phone conversation between Gerald and Elena ? Gerald ordering food for them both ? The proposition to meet Elena after his evening visit ? Elena picking up her pizza delivery ? The name that Gerald gave for the delivery ? The state of mind it puts Elena in ? The reunion between the lovers ? The explanation about the 'Elena Darmanin' calling ? No sex between them ? Gerald telling about his evening and his doubts about the police ? Elena being there for him ? Them planning their next date ? Do you think they'll manage to meet in a bar to watch the rugby game ? Gerald teasing Elena on her being attracted to the rugby players ? Them falling asleep in each other's arms ? 
> 
> What are you expecting for the coming chapters ? What's going to happen according to you ?


	7. An eventful evening !

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE IT GOES ! 
> 
> Just so you know, this chapter was initially going to be longer, but I decided to split it in half so it'll go with the next one that will start right after this one :D

My eyes leave the screen for a second when I see the door of the pub open, and I grin when I recognize my boyfriend’s security officers coming through the door. They are wary, and discreetly nod in my direction. Gerald is just behind them and he doesn’t wait for their instruction to leave their side and join me in the furthest corner of the pub. Everyone is focused on the rugby game, thankfully for us, and no one noticed him yet. He briefly touches my hand and he kisses me on the forehead. 

“I am so sorry,” he apologizes “that meeting took forever, and I couldn’t really tell them I had to go to watch the rugby game with my girlfriend, right ?” 

“Indeed.” I laugh “But the good point is that you managed to free your evening. And that you’re here.” 

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else in the world.” he whispers 

I am wearing a pair of jeans, sneakers and a rugby jersey and he himself made the effort of dropping the tie and opening the collar button of his white shirt. He’s off for now, and this is all that matters. Even if he missed nearly twenty-five minutes of the game already. He lifts up his gaze towards the giants screen and frowns when he sees the score. 

“We’re losing.” he says 

“Oh yes, we are.” I chuckle “That was to be expected. We’re playing England, remember ? They’re one of the best nations in the world, honey.” 

“And we’re not ?” 

I blink several times, trying to assess if he’s really that clueless about rugby or if he’s making fun of me. But he seems to be dead serious. I shake my head in disbelief, look for my credit card in my jeans pocket and hand it over to Gerald : 

“Go grab us some beers, and I’ll explain to you when you come back.” 

He is halfway gone, without my card, but I grab him by the arm and say : 

“I’m the one inviting you tonight. I pay for the beers. Take my card.” 

“I had forgotten how stubborn you can be.” he replies, rolling his eyes 

“And you’re the one saying this ?” 

“Fine.” he sighs “What do you want ?” 

“Whatever,” I shrug “you know what I drink, and what I don’t.” 

He winks at me and goes to the bar to get us two beers. He comes back with two Guinness and I put my credit card back in my pocket. He stands behind me to watch the game and while we both sip our beers I try my best to explain to him the basics of the game. 

“We are only seven points behind,” I say “that is not much. It’s one converted try from them, so nothing is lost yet. But we are behind, our team is young and do not demonstrate the proper cohesion yet to be on the winning side of the game.” 

“How about them ?” he asks me 

“They are at the best of their game, it is the best rugby they can play.” 

He nods and focuses back on the game. We’re not touching each other, but I can feel his presence in my back, and I appreciate to have him around. I know this date is a challenge, especially security-wise, and we had to negotiate severely with his chief of security to make it happen. I made the concession of watching the game in the closest pub from the Ministry, and they convinced the bartender to let us watch the game at a table in a remote part of the room, separated from the other customers. It was the condition to let Gerald come in and enjoy this moment with me. And yet, I feel his bodyguards are on edge. The pub is crowded today, and despite us being in the furthest corner of the room, there are people closer to us than expected, and the security service is keeping a close watch on us, with the risk of bringing unnecessary attention on us. 

At half-time, I turn to my boyfriend and discreetly let my hand slide under his suit jacket over his shirt and I frown hard to not feel the warmth of his skin but rather a hard, cold thing he is wearing underneath his shirt. 

“Protective jacket.” he whispers, noticing my trouble 

“Bulletproof jacket ?” I exclaim 

“Sort of,” he chuckles “but lighter, mostly for blades. And I can conceal that one underneath my clothes. They wouldn’t let me out without this, you never know what might happen.” 

“Do they really think you might get stabbed or something ?” I frown 

“Better be safe than sorry, don’t you think ?” grins my boyfriend 

He leans to kiss me but I escape him and say : 

“Not here, there are too many people around. And we agreed on keeping our relationship lowkey.” 

“Hmm.” he nods, disappointed nonetheless “Will I get a kiss if we win the game ?”

“Yes.” I answer 

I’m pretty sure to take few risks, given that there are almost no chances that we win. He smiles at me, and takes a long sip of his beer. I turn back to watch the screen and Gerald whispers in my ear : 

“Don’t look too closely, but we’ve been noticed. There’s a guy, on the left-hand side of the room, next to Fabien, who has been constantly checking on us.” 

I give a quick glance in that direction and my eyes cross the ones of the man in question. My boyfriend adds : 

“His face looks familiar but I can’t pinpoint where I’ve seen him.” 

“A police officer ?” I suggest “Police union maybe ?” 

I look at Gerald who closed his eyes for a second to search his memory but doesn’t seem to be able to recall where he saw that man. 

“A journalist ? A firefighter ? Someone you met recently ?” 

“I don’t know,” sighs Gerald “maybe he just has a very common face.” 

We don’t get the occasion to dwell on that for too long as the game resumes. The French team plays this second half as if their life was on the line and we win the game by three points only. The atmosphere in the pub gets increasingly crazy by the end of the game and when the referee notifies the end of the game, my immediate reaction is to turn to my boyfriend, and throw my arms around his neck. We share this pure moment of bliss, and he kisses me just once, briefly on the lips. 

“Happy that they won ?” he asks me 

“Sooo happy !” I exclaim “This was an unexpected result.” 

He is still holding me by the waist, but I see him look around, and his hands slip off of me rapidly. 

“We’re in public,” he sighs “I can’t touch you like I would like to…” 

“Let’s go back home then ?” I suggest 

I finish my beer bottoms up and he nods. We both grab our jackets, and walk out, followed by the security service of my boyfriend. We only have two streets to cross to be back at the Ministry and it feels great to walk side by side, our hands brushing by each other. Of course, passersby are watching my boyfriend with astonishment and he politely waves at them. I am hushed by security through the grids of Beauvau and Gerald follows right behind me. I look through my bag for my ID and hand it over to one of the bodyguards who walked back with us. 

“Thank you, Miss Elena.” he says “Enjoy your evening.” 

“Oh, we will !” exclaims Gerald taking my hand in his “Good evening !”

We walk up the stairs and get inside the building, hand in hand. We do not need words to know exactly what will happen between us as soon as we will close the door of the private apartment of my boyfriend. As usual, we are eager to be just the two of us, to tell each other how in love we are in the best way we know how : with our lips and hands. Gerald pins me against the door as soon as we are inside his flat, and his lips are on my mouth before I could say anything. 

“Hmm,” I moan “eager as usual, my dear boyfriend.” 

“Say that again.” he whispers against my lips 

“My dear boyfriend.” I tease him 

I begin to open the buttons of his shirt and he lifts up one of my legs along his hip, his hand on my arse, grasping it with force. As I open his white shirt I discover the thin but strong kevlar jacket he is wearing underneath. It is white and it looks incredibly sexy to have him wearing this. 

“I see this is pleasing you very much.” he tells me 

“You look like a secret agent, or a bodyguard. I love it.” 

My cheeks are bright pink and I avoid his gaze but he lifts my chin up with his index finger and traps my lips with his own : 

“You’re allowed to be aroused by me wearing a protective jacket, Elena.” 

“Am I ?”

“Oh yes, and for the record, that rugby jersey you’re wearing is giving me naughty thoughts. And… Correct me if I’m wrong but… you’re not wearing anything underneath ?” 

I smirk and blush even more. He let one of his hands slide on my breasts, and he doesn’t need my confirmation to acknowledge I am indeed not wearing any bra. 

“Naughty girl,” he chuckles “I like the idea of you not wearing underwear, but I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you being like that in public.” 

“Oh ? Jealous much ?” I tease him 

“What if someone notices it ?” he replies, arching an eyebrow 

“I don’t care.” I shrug “You’re the only one allowed to stare. And touch.” 

He grins and his hand comes under my t-shirt to explore my naked breasts. I make his shirt slide off his shoulders, and our mouths find each other once more. He is about to lift my shirt up above my shoulders to completely free the access to my body when we are interrupted by loud meows in our back. Gerald sighs and presses his forehead against mine. 

“I love that cat, I truly do,” he whispers “but he ALWAYS disturbs us at the worst moments possible.” 

I give a quick glance at Boris who is looking up at both of us, and I chuckle. This cat is going to be a problem if its jealousy keeps coming into play when we’re together. I grab the hand of my boyfriend and tell him : 

“Come with me, honey !” 

I drag him along to the bathroom, much to his surprise, and we close the door after ourselves, locking it even so we are not disturbed, no matter what happens. We hear a few meows of indignation behind the door, but we decide on ignoring them for now, and Gerald is already back at kissing me, in the neck this time. I tilt my head on the side to give him a better access and I hear him groan of impatience. It makes me smile, and I decide to remove my t-shirt by myself. I get rid of my sneakers and he wraps an arm around my waist to lift my up and sit me on the cabinet behind me. 

“Will I finally get the privilege of fucking you under the shower ?” he asks me 

“Are condoms waterproof ?” I question in response 

“I have absolutely no idea.” he shrugs 

“Then I’d rather not take risks. Unless you want to have a mini-you running around in addition to the cat to disturb us at the worst moments possible ?” 

This argument seems enough to convince him and he nods. He opens the door of the piece of furniture he seated me on and finds a condom inside. I notice that he also put my toiletries bag alongside his and it makes me grin even harder. 

“Are you sure you don’t want us to continue under the shower ?” he tries again 

“Gerald,” I joke “I swear you’re going to regret this if we end up having troubles.” 

“Fine, fine.” 

He smirks and kisses me so that we don’t argue too much, and the heat between us comes back instantly. I rip open the velcros of his protective jacket and hastily remove it from his shoulders, throwing it on the floor at our feet. Both his hands are on my breasts, caressing them, teasing my nipples which are becoming hard and ultra-sensitive under his fingers. 

“Oh, God.” I groan against his lips “This feels so good.” 

“And this ?” he asks, pinching one of my nipples between two of his fingers 

“OOOOH, Gerald ! Do that again !” 

I don’t have to beg him twice and my whole body is consumed with pleasure. I moan loudly, and both of my hands are in the back of my boyfriend, scratching his skin slightly. 

“Careful, honey,” he warns “if I feel your nails in my skin I will tie up your hands once again.” 

“I will be careful.” 

He chuckles and I close my eyes to further enjoy what he is doing to me. I am, like always, leaving him in charge, because I know he likes that. I overhear him unbuckle his belt and I instinctively bring myhand to the front of his body and start stroking his cock through the fabric of his boxers. 

“You’re already so hard.” I notice out loud 

“I’ve been wanting to take you ever since we’ve been out that pub.” 

“Then what are you still waiting for ?” I reply 

He laughs and I kiss him with more passion than before. 

“I need to remove your jeans, Elena.” he indicates, his hand already busy on the fly of it 

I jump off the piece of furniture I was sitting on and remove my jeans by myself. I then let my boyfriend kneel down to lower my panties and he kisses his way back up my leg, until his nose is between my thighs, in the most intimate part of my anatomy. 

“Oh damn.” I sigh “Don’t do that, I won’t last a minute if you put your lips down here.” 

“Then,” he says as he gets back up on his feet “turn around.” 

He makes me lean over the sink and he rips open the condom package. I need no further preparation, and when he leans over me, I feel his cock slide inside me, making me moan loudly. 

“My sweet, sweet Elena.” he groans in my ear “I’m going to fuck you rough and hard…” 

“Please, do that.” 

He grabs my ponytail in his fist and pulls on my hair gently to keep the control of our love-making session. He thrusts his hips back and forth with force and I need to grab the edges of the sink to keep my balance. We are filling the bathroom with our screams of pleasure, and our bodys are burning with this fire from within. 

“I’m coming.” warns Gerald “I’m so close.” 

His body stiffens, and he comes, deep inside of me, I orgasm seconds later, screaming his name, my whole body shaking from this powerful bliss. My boyfriend holds me by the waist to keep me from falling on the floor, and his lips are covering my shoulder blades with soft kisses, at the exact opposite from this rough sex we just had. 

“I’m good.” I manage to groan after a long while, lifting one thumb up 

“No you’re not,” he laughs “your legs are still wobbly. If I let go of you now, you end up on the floor.” 

“I’m telling you I’m okay.” 

He lets go of me and I try to stand on my own but as he predicted my legs are still too weak for me to weigh on them. Gerald catches me in his arms before I crash on the floor and his I-told-you-so stare makes me burst into laughter. Still holding me, he starts running the water in the shower and gets rids of the used condom in the trash bin at the same time. 

“May I take you to shower with me at least ?” he asks 

“Someone very wise told me I wasn’t able to stand on my own,” I say “so I guess I don’t have any other choice.” 

“Oh, what a wise man.” he reacts “I’d like to meet him one day.” 

We get under the shower and my body relaxes eventually. I get more assured on my feet and Gerald manges to let go of me. We keep kissing, hot water pouring over our head, my arms around his neck, one of his hands in my back, the other one positioned on my arse. 

“I can’t believe you’ve denied me the privilege of showering together until now.” he whispers to me

“Oh, come on.” I joke “I’m sure you’ve showered with most of the girls you’ve put in your bed.” 

“No, that is something I keep for the people I truly want to engage with ?”

“Did you shower with your ex-wife ?”

“Sometimes.” he admits “Are you sure you want to talk about her now ?” 

“Hmm, no.” 

We both laugh, and Gerald grabs the shower gel so we can wash ourselves. Five minutes later, we’re rinsed and we step out of the shower. Gerald hands me a towel and I wrap myself in it, shaking my head so that the droplets of water remaining in my hair fall down on the floor. It makes my boyfriend laugh, as he dries himself with another towel. 

“Are you hungry ?” he asks me, looking at ourselves in the mirror “What do you want for dinner ?” 

“I’m not really hungry,” I answer “I snacked late, at the pub, waiting for you.” 

“Oh,” he chuckles “what did you had ?” 

“Crisps. But if you want to have dinner, I’ll have something with you.” 

“Oh no, I’m not hungry either. What about we watch a movie together ?” 

“A movie ? You, watching a movie ?” 

“I’m trying to be romantic,” he grins “don’t you like it ?”

“I do.” 

He combs his hair and hangs his towel on the rack by the shower, I pull my toiletries bag from underneath the sink and appreciate the fact that I thought about throwing a hairbrush into it when I agreed on leaving some stuff here for when I spend the night. 

“Would you mind letting me do it ?” asks Gerald, removing the brush from my fingers, and planting a soft kiss in my neck 

“You really don’t want to do that.” 

“Why ?” 

“I have long hair, darling, do you realize the amount of hair that’s going to end up in that brush ?” 

“Not really.” 

I start laughing and I see his look of perplexity in the mirror in front of us. He’s still standing behind me, with the brush in hand, and I tell him : 

“Go on, brush my hair. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” 

When he finishes brushing my hair, five minutes later, he gives it back to me, and I remove the hair that are stuck into it. He cringes when he sees the amount of it, and I feel his arm wrap around my waist. 

“Told you,” I smirk “and you’ll end up finding long brown hair all around the place.”

“That’ll remind me of your presence.” he smiles 

“I’d rather be here, than leave hair around.” 

We both laugh and he pulls my hair on the side to kiss me on the back of the neck. I close my eyes and my hand comes on the back of his head to enhance this contact between his lips and my skin. It’s giving me goosebumps and I shiver from head to toe when he triggers a very sensitive spot at the base of my skull. 

“I love you, Elena.” he whispers “You are making me crazy, in all the ways it can mean. I am the happiest man on Earth when we are together…” 

“I love you too, honey.” I answer “We truly found each other.” 

I re-open my eyes and turn my eyes towards him for a kiss. Our lips find each other for a little while and his arms keep me safely secured against his chest, and I feel like this is the best place in the whole universe. Or at least like this is my place. This is where I belong, and it seems so obvious to both of us that we don’t need words to express it. We found each other in a way that is truly unique and accidental, but maybe fate placed us on each other’s path for a reason. 

“Netflix ?” he suggests 

“Works for me.” I grin “I’ll join you into bed in a minute, I need to take my allergy medication first.” 

He nods and, still completely naked, he walks up to his office to fetch his laptop while I stop into the bedroom to pull on a sweater and some panties. I then walk back to the entrance of the flat and look for my medication into my bag. I take them with a glass of water in the kitchen and come back to Gerald, browsing the netflix catalogue on his laptop, sitting on our bed, glasses on his nose, Boris next to him. 

“I thought he was not allowed in the bed ?” I point out 

“He begged me.” shrugs Gerald 

“You’re way too weak with this cat, my handsome man.” 

I kiss Gerald on the forehead and sneak into bed between the animal and my boyfriend. The cat looks up at me and moves to sit on my lap. Gerald rolls his eyes and says : 

“Boris, move ! Leave her alone !” 

He is about to remove the cat, but I stop him. 

“It’s fine. Leave him. He’s going to hate me if we kick him out of the bed.” 

“And I’m the weak one for the cat ?” he says, arching an eyebrow

“He’s cute.” I shrug “What are we watching ?” 

“What do you want to watch ?” he asks 

“Whatever, I don’t mind. A documentary if you want.” 

“Oh, good idea.” 

We decide ourselves on a scientific documentary and I get into my boyfriend’s arms to watch it. Gerald’s hand loses itself in the fur of Boris and I rest my head on the shoulder of my lover, as I’m starting to get tired. 

I must have fallen asleep because when I open my eyes, I’m in an empty bed, the laptop is closed on the bedside table, and Gerald is nowhere to be seen. I give a quick glance at the alarm clock and realize I have slept for a couple of hours, but we are in the middle of the night, and I wonder where my boyfriend might be. The bed is icy-cold which means he probably didn’t sleep with me at all. I get up, still half-asleep and walk up to the kitchen where I find Gerald, entirely naked, busy typing something on his phone. 

“What are you doing ?” I ask him, sliding my hand around his waist and planting a soft kiss on the back of his shoulder 

“Nothing.” he replies too quickly, hiding the screen of his phone by placing it face down on the countertop 

“Gerald ?” I say “You’re lying to me. What’s going on ?” 

He turns to me and sighs. He takes my chin between his fingers but he’s unable to speak. His eyes keep glancing towards his phone, and with an interrogative gaze, I take the said object between my fingers. He nods and I look down at the screen. What I discover on the screen makes my mouth go dry and the phone nearly slips out of my hand. We’ve been busted. In the pub, earlier, someone saw us, and posted several pictures on Twitter. And they make little doubts about the kind of relationship we’re having. Gerald took screenshots of those tweets, and he was typing an email to his communication team, asking them to deny vehemently all sort of relationship. Good thing that I interrupted him before he sent that message. 

“Were you really going to send that ?” I ask him, placing the phone back on the countertop 

“Yes.” he says “I need to protect you Elena. You have no idea what’s coming at your face. You have no idea what I already read about you simply because of those pictures.” 

I can read the pain in his eyes and I bring my hand to his cheek, the other one on his chest, between his pectorals. 

“I am a big girl Gerald, I can protect myself.” 

“Please, let me take care of this.” 

“No. This is a decision we have to take together. Not with your communication team. You and I. It’s about what we’re ready to disclose to the public. What do they know about me ?”

“Fortunately nothing.” he tells me “They don’t even know your name… Yet,” he adds after a while “that person who posted the pictures, that guy I thought I knew, he’s a journalist. Do not be mistaken : he’ll investigate. This is too much of a valuable information to let go. Do you feel ready to handle that, Elena ? I don’t want to bring you into this mess…” 

“I don’t know if I’m ready, I don’t know if I’ll ever feel ready. But I know one thing for sure…” 

I breathe deeply and I kiss him on the lips. 

“You’re worth it, Gerald.” I whisper against his lips “And I’ll fight for our relationship.” 

“I don’t deserve a girlfriend such as you.” he replies, wrapping his arms around my neck “And we’ll make sure to keep you safe. And under the radar if that’s what you want.”

“Don’t send that email, please. Let’s discuss this together first at least.” 

He nods and pushes his phone out of reach of his hand. He opens the cupboard above his head and draws out a bottle filled with a transparent liquid but no label on it. 

“Do you want some ?” he asks 

“What is it ?”

“Algerian liquor. I keep it for desperate situations.” 

A tiny smile enlightens his face and I shake my head in disbelief. He finds two shot glasses and pours liquor in them. He pushes one towards my hand and encourages me with one glance. 

“Are you sure it’s wise ?” 

“Since when are we wise people ?” he jokes, drinking his glass bottoms up 

“You’re right.” 

I smile and drink mine just like he did, the alcohol burning my throat, making me cough and making my boyfriend laugh. 

“I forbid you to laugh, you idiot. This feels like pure alcohol.” 

“It nearly is.” 

He drinks a second shot of it and puts the bottle back where it is stored. I’m still trying to process both the news of us being busted, and the alcohol and he takes my hand to drag me back to the bedroom. He sits on the bed, his back resting against the wall, I sit on his lap, one arm around his shoulders, my head nested in his neck. 

“How do you feel ?” asks Gerald, slipping his hands underneath my sweatshirt to stroke my back calmly 

“Confused about your reaction to the pictures of us kissing.” I admit “Do you really want to hide our relationship ?” 

“No, you know this is not what I want.” he sighs “But I need to protect you.” 

“So… you’re not ashamed of me ?” 

“A-ashamed of you ?” he frowns “Why would you think that, honey ? I’m not ashamed of you at all, but I don’t want to expose you, and we’ve talked about this : us being officially together would change a lot of things in your life. And it means you’d have to talk to your parents about us.” 

“Of fuck,” I groan “that escaped my attention. I’ll deal with my parents when I have to. What about yours ?” 

“I guess I will have to tell them I am seeing someone,” he smiles “but I am not ready yet for you to meet them. Not that you’re not amazing, nor them, but… I’m not ready.” 

“It’s fine.” 

I bring my free hand to his cheek and my thumb strokes his skin. I kiss him tenderly and we keep discussing about those unfortunate pictures forcing us to come out of the woods. 

“Do you know if many people have seen those pictures already ?” I ask 

“It was trending on Twitter when I looked, but you know how it goes, it can fade quickly, or completely blow up.” 

“But I’m ready for us to hold hands in public, and go out more often. If that’s what you’d like.” 

“If this doesn’t blow up in our faces today, it will in a week, or two. It was an illusion to think we could hide and have a secret relationship, especially if we were going to have dates in public places.” 

“Oh the fools we were !” I joke “So… No more secrets ?”

“No more secrets. But we don’t have to expose ourselves too much either.” 

“Of course.” 

His hand stopped moving in my back and I can see in his eyes that he is thinking far ahead. As I was about to ask him about those thoughts he says : 

“I haven’t even told my best friend I was dating you.” 

“Well, maybe it is time you let him know, don’t you think ?”

“He’s going to kill me.” cringes Gerald “Do you want to meet him ?” he adds, his eyes full of hope

“I don’t mind. If our relationship is made to last anyway, we’ll have to meet at some point.” 

My boyfriend nods and kisses me. But he is still very nervous and I can feel it. I guess we’re not going to spend a very restful night. My lips are travelling up and down his neck, trying to help him calm down, but he is not, and I see the tension in his muscles. My hand comes at the back of his head, playing with his hair, and he finally opens up about what is weighing on his heart : 

“You are going to kick me out of this bed for what I’m about to say but…” 

“You idiot,” I interrupt him “first this is your bed, and nothing will break us, remember ?” 

“What if I tell you you’d be better without me ?” 

I wasn’t expecting this and I blink several times, making sure I am not dreaming. I am looking at him in disbelief, and I frown, awaiting for more explanations. 

“Don’t get me wrong,” he sighs “I want you, I love you, deeply but… this lifestyle, this… mess you’re agreeing to dive in, it’s not something you are prepared to face.” 

“Who tells you I’m not strong enough to face all of this ?” 

“Elena, you’re pretty, you’re young, you’ll find someone else if you want to.” 

“That is not the point, you dumbass.” 

“Do you realize that having a long-term relationship with me means that you’ll pass on Christmas in family and New Year’s Eve with me as well ?” he questions 

“I’ve never been very fond of New Year’s Eve anyway. You will visit police units I presume ?” 

“Obviously.” 

“Then maybe I could myself find some charity to spend that very special night with… To feel useful and worthy.” 

“What about Christmas ?” 

“I’ll go to my parents.” I shrug “Is that the only thing you’re worried about ?” 

“I don’t want you to engage into something you would regret later.” 

“I know what I am doing, Gerald. Thank you very much for your sollicitude, but I don’t need your help for deciding whether it’s worth it, or not, to date you.” 

“I told you this would be a tricky subject…” he sighs “And there are also the missed birthdays, the Valentine’s dates I will have to leave in an emergency, the calls in the middle of the night, the weekend I’ll spend in my office rather than with you, the…” 

I place a finger on his lips to make him shut up and he arches an eyebrow interrogatively. 

“I know all of this, Gerald.” I tell him “I knew all of this when you first brought me back here. I knew my life would change the second you took my hand, and I willingly accepted it. This is the life I want, because this is a life with you. I know we weren’t planning on being seen kissing in a pub, and exposed on Twitter, but the fact is : maybe it will help us being honest about this relationship to the people we love.” 

“Will you be in trouble with your family because of me ?” 

That question was honest, and I see in his eyes that he is truly worried that I might get into some fights about who I chose to date. But he is my choice, and I’ll fight for him, no matter what. Because yes, I will probably need to have a serious talk with my parents, and probably my sister when they will find out. 

“My parents don’t have social media, so we’re safe for at least a couple more days,” I chuckle “which is so not the case for the rest of my family. It will depend on how viral those pictures become.” 

“But when they’ll find out ?” asks again gerald with concern 

“Oh, they will kill me, for sure.” I joke “More seriously though, I can’t say I am eager to let them know, but we know what we are doing, and we love each other. I know for a fact that you are the man I am looking for, and I won’t let you go just because it would be deemed improper to date you.” 

“I love you so much Elena.” are the only words he manages to mumble before kissing me with a lot of passion 

He ends up lying me down on the bed, underneath him, and we keep kissing for a very long time. We are both in need of some reassurance : that our couple is worth it, that we are not making a mistake, that we found each other and are not ready to let go. My boyfriend grabs the bottom of my sweatshirt with one hand and he lifts it up above my head, I help him remove it from around my shoulders and it ends up at the bed’s feet. 

“You truly are the most desirable woman I ever got the chance to put in my bed…” he whispers in my ear 

“Thank you, dear.” I blush as an answer “But I’m too tired for…”

“Oh, I noticed that, you fell asleep ten minutes into the movie earlier on. Even Boris stayed awake for longer.” 

“So sorry,” I apologize, blushing even harder “I had a long week.” 

“I don’t mind. But there’s absolutely no way you sleep in my arms with that sweatshirt on. If you’re cold, I will keep you warm.” 

“And if I’m not ?” I tease him “Would you keep away from me all night long ?” 

He looks at me and I dare him with a glance. 

“If that’s what you want,” he smirks “I won’t touch you at all during all night.” 

He removes his hands from my waist all at once and makes sure that no parts of his body are in contact with mine. He is still grinning from ear to ear and I shake my head in disbelief. 

“You’re an idiot, Gerald.” 

“But you love me dearly ?” 

“Of course. Now come back on me, there’s a promise you need to make before we sleep.” 

“A promise ?” 

Gerald lies down next to me, I cross my arms behind my head and he wraps an arm around my waist to get me closer to him. 

“No running away from this bed in the morning ? I’m tired of waking up in an empty bed.” 

“Oh.” 

His mouth is forming a perfect circle and he looks like a teenager busted making something he shouldn’t have. 

“What if I have an emergency ?” 

“You wake me up, you kiss me, and you tell me you’re leaving.” I explain “Please. I’d rather be woken up in the middle of the night than wake up and not know where you vanished.” 

“I’m not sure, honey,” he tells me “you’re a heavy sleeper, and I know you need an awful lot of time to fall asleep.” 

“Please, Gerald.” 

“Fine.” he sighs “I can’t resist your pretty eyes. But I have one condition : you need to make me one promise too.” 

“Go on.” I sigh, not really happy to have been taken at my own game 

“Do not look for what is said about you on social media. Never. Let me deal with that, please.” 

“How horrible is it ?” 

“They’re wondering if I’m going to rape you, to ask you to fuck me in exchange of something, what you’re looking for in a man like me, oh and of course there are a bunch of insults thrown mostly at me but sometimes at both of us. You don’t need to see that, and as your boyfriend, let me at least keep you from this.” 

“People are dumb. And mean. And insane. And so insecure about themselves they have to attack others. And…” 

Gerald stops me with a kiss. 

“Big man, big troubles, little man, little troubles.” he says to me “Do you promise me not to look for the comments on our relationship ?” 

“Yes.” I nod “I promise I won’t look for them.” 

“Thank you. Now I guess it would be wise to go back to sleep ?” 

“Indeed.” I chuckle 

I turn on my side and snuggle closer into the arms of my boyfriend whose arms hold me tighter. 

“I love you, Mister Minister.” I mumble 

“I love you too, my sweet Elena.” he replies, kissing me on top of the head 

I close my eyes and fall back asleep almost instantly, feeling safe and happy in his arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo ? What did you think of this chapter ?  
> Elena and Gerald meeting in the pub to watch the rugby game despite security concerns ? Elena helping Gerald understand the game ? That strange man they both notice ? The walk back to the Ministry ? Them being on each other as soon as the door closes behind them ? Boris interrupting (again) at the worst possible moment ? Gerald and Elena locking in the bathroom to have sex ? The hot/rough sex and the sweet shower afterwards ? The cute moment they share in the bathroom after the shower ? Them watching a movie together in bed ? Elena waking up (again) alone in bed ? Gerald not wanting to tell her what's going on ? The pictures on Twitter ? Gerald's reaction ? Elena's reaction ? The algerian alcohol ? Their conversation in bed ? Gerald's concerns about their future life ? Elena being resolute about their relationship ? The sweet words they exchange ? The double-promise they make to each other before going back to sleep ?
> 
> What do you expect for the upcoming chapter ? Keep in mind that it will happen right after this one.


	8. The morning after...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm back!  
> I hoped you missed dearly Elena And Gerald, and that you wonder what will happen to them now that they got spotted together in a pub.... 
> 
> Here's the "second part" of the previous chapter, meaning it begins right after the other one ends.

I wake up, as usual to an empty bed. I groan and stretch. Where the hell has my boyfriend vanished again ? I thought we agreed on him not running away this morning. Unless he had an emergency calling him. But even then, he should have woken me up, to let me know he was leaving. I frown when I realize I can hear his voice in the kitchen, and I frown even harder when I realize there’s another voice with his. It’s a male voice that sounds strangely familiar and yet I can’t identify it. It’s not any of his bodyguards, that’s for certain, but I can’t pinpoint where I’ve heard that voice before. I grab a pair of sweatpants in the closet, and a t-shirt, I tie my hair up in a ponytail that looks halfway decent, and I walk to the kitchen to see who my partner is talking to. Gerald looks up towards me as I enter the room and my jaw drops to the floor when the other man, sitting with his back to the bedroom door, turns in my direction. 

“Oh, wow. I usually don’t have that effect on women.” jokes Sebastien Lecornu, Minister of Ultramarine territories but also, and more importantly, Gerald’s best friend 

“Good morning,” I blurt out, extending my hand towards him “I’m Elena.” 

“I’m honored to meet you Elena,” he answers, shaking my hand “you can call me Sebastien.” 

I nod politely and walk around the table to steal a quick kiss from my partner’s lips. I expect it to be chaste, given that we are not alone, but Gerald wraps both his arms around my waist and he makes it last for far longer than necessary. I feel myself blushing heavily and I clear my throat when he finally lets go of me. 

“Sorry for that.” I apologize to our guest, with a disapproving glance for my boyfriend

“Don’t worry, I’ve seen far worse.” he chuckles in response 

“I thought we agreed on no running away from bed ?” I tell my partner with a little frown 

“I know, but I woke up early, and I intended to stay in bed with a book, but when I texted Seb’ to let him know I had something to tell him, I wasn’t expecting him to answer ‘I’m here in ten minutes with breakfast’... I just had time to put on some clothes.” 

Indeed, Gerald is wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt that he hastily buttoned halfway to the top. And Sebastien points to a bag of pastries on the table : 

“I would have taken more of that if I had known he wasn’t alone.” 

“Don’t worry, there’s always way too much to eat when you’re the one bringing food.” replies Gerald “Coffee ?” 

“Of course.” answers Sebastien 

He catches my interrogative glance and explains : 

“I arrived literally two minutes before you came in. He hasn’t told me anything yet.” 

Sebastien seems to be looking for something on the table and I open the drawer in front of me to pick up a teaspoon that I hand him. I also push the sugar bowl towards him.

“Thank you.” he tells me “That answers a couple of questions I was going to ask.” 

Gerald gives his best friend a bowl of warm coffee, he hands me one filled with tea, and he sits down in front of his own bowl of coffee. I interrogate Sebastien on what he meant with his last sentence : 

“What questions did you have ?” 

“Well, Gerald only had time to tell me he had met someone but given that you know your way around the house, I presume this is not the first time you see each other… And considering I’m usually the very first one to know about the women he puts in his bed, I’m kind of worried not to have heard about you until this morning, Elena. And there’s this sparkle I don’t usually see in my best friend’s eye.” 

I turn to Gerald and notice that he can't help looking at me with a huge grin, unable to hide his true feelings. Maybe it's for the best after all that we got busted and that we have to expose ourselves, at least to the people we love. Seeing that my boyfriend won't answer anything I roll my eyes at him and turn back to Sébastien : 

“Indeed, we have been dating for a while now,” I say “but we agreed on keeping it as secret and low-key as possible. That’s why you did not hear about me. I am sorry.” 

“I wanted to protect Elena as much as possible,” eventually jumps in Gerald “from this hectic world we live in. Even if she got a solid preview already. I'm one of the most exposed of this government and yet she's ready to embrace this very unique lifestyle.”

“Wait a second.” frowns the other Minister “Are you telling me you're considering having a serious relationship with someone ?” 

He seems genuinely surprised and stopped with his hand halfway above the bag of pastries. 

“More than that : I'm committed to one,” smirks Gerald, intertwining fingers with me, “and you of all people know me better than anyone, I'm not joking.”

“You… You’re playing a prank on me, right ?” nervously chuckles Sebastien “No offense, Elena, but this is not the Gerald I know.” he adds, looking in my direction 

“None taken,” I reply “but the Gerald you know might have changed a little.” 

“It’s no joke,” says my boyfriend “we are together, and I love her more than you could imagine.” 

Sebastien frowns but doesn’t answer anything. He takes a croissant in the bag and he eats half of it in a heavy silence. 

“Since when have you been dating ?” says Sebastien after a while 

“Weeks, maybe a little bit more than a month.” answers Gerald who indulged on a croissant too “We had what ? Three, four, dates ?” 

He turned to me, looking for approbation and I shake my head in disbelief. 

“You do know that I’ve been counting, right ?” I say to my boyfriend “For this little banter with your security service.” 

“There was our first date, the day we met, in that restaurant…” starts Gerald “I took you out for dinner for our second date too… On our third… Was it the one when we argued ?” 

“Yes,” I nod “I’d hardly call this a date.” I chuckle “Especially since we met at my place afterwards and you had to run away because Emmanuel called you.” 

“Right, I remember that, now !” he exclaims “Then I took you out to that starred restaurant. That was our third official date.” 

“I surprised you with that picture at the Ministry a few days later, and we nearly got busted by Marlène.” 

“Oh, damn, she’s going to kill me for not telling her.” cringes Gerald “But once again, hardly a date. But that time I joined you for the night at your place ?”

“Oh, definitely a date !” I laugh “That was so cute.” 

“And the last one,” concludes Gerald “was yesterday, when we got busted in this pub. That makes five if my count is right.” 

I nod, and we both turn back to Sebastien who has been watching us interact and respond to each other with a tiny smirk on his face. 

“You both truly found each other,” he comments “that was impressive. And cute.” 

I blush a little and hide my embarrassment by drinking some of my tea. 

“Since you two apparently lived everything,” adds Sebastien “when do we marry you ?” 

The jokes makes Gerald burst into laughter and I smile broadly as well. Sebastien seems to be in a far better position regarding our relationship. I lean over the table to grab a croissant and I realize that my t-shirt is really loose and also see-through. That should make Gerald insanely jealous, because he doesn’t like that any other man can lay his eyes on me. But strangely he seems very comfortable with me wearing this T-shirt around his best-friend. I’ll have to ask him about this later. 

“May I know more about you, Elena ?” asks Sebastien to me 

“There’s nothing much to know about me,” I reply “I’m twenty-three, I met Gerald by accident, I have a job here in Paris, I’m allergic to cats…” 

“Have you told anyone you were dating ?” questions Sebastien again 

“No,” I say “not even my parents.” 

“I haven’t told my mother either. Nor anyone else in my family.” adds Gerald “You’re the first one we’re opening up to, considering the… disastrous pictures from yesterday evening.” 

“I haven’t seen them.” admits Sebastien “But my chief of cabinet told me about them this morning. You two made quite the buzz on Twitter yesterday night…” 

“This is why we decided on telling you.” replies Gerald “You would have called me anyway, right ?” 

“Oh yes, I would.” chuckles Sebastien “It’s so not you not to brag about the women you put in your bed, Ge’.” 

“Oh, really ?” I react, teasing my boyfriend “Does he brag often about it ?” 

“Very often.” whispers Sebastien with a wink for me 

“I hate you.” says Gerald to his best friend “Don’t you dare tell the worst things about me to Elena. I intend to keep her.” 

“Nothing can frighten me.” I joke “I love you way too much for that.” I add, kissing Gerald on the cheek 

I walk to the fridge to grab a yoghurt and jump in fear when I feel something run between my legs. 

“DAMN YOU BORIS !” I exclaim “You can’t do this to me every day !” 

The cat looks at me and I sigh. Gerald is looking at us with a smirk and I push the cat gently aside with my foot and he meows with indignation. I grab my yoghurt in the fridge and Boris leaps on my seat at the table which makes Sebastien chuckle. 

“Oh, he’s jealous.” he comments “Gerald has been giving you too much attention lately. Do you remember, Gerald, how Boris hated your previous girlfriend ?” 

“Yes, I remember.” sighs my partner “But I’d rather it doesn’t happen with Elena.” 

He grabs the cat to make it move from my seat and he takes the animal on his own knees, petting him while eating a second croissant. 

“There,” he says to the cat “you see, I can very well take care of you, and my sweetheart.” 

The cat meows in response and I stroke its back to let him know that I don’t hate him either. But my body answers with a loud sneeze and I see Gerald frown and look at me with a very worried expression : 

“Have you taken your medication ?” 

“I…” 

I sneeze once more and feel my eyes starting to water. Fuck. Gerald lets go of Boris and he kisses me on the forehead. 

“Where is your medication, honey ?” he questions me 

“In my bag,” I say “there’s a pillbox.” 

While Gerald goes fetch them, I turn to Sebastien and say : 

“Allergies. I was fine up to now, but it’s kind of unpredictable. Sorry.” 

“It’s not like you could prevent it from happening,” he shrugs “though you should wash your hands, that could help.” 

“Yes.” 

I wash my hands and see Gerald come back with my backpack in the kitchen, visibly confused and sorry to not have found what he was looking for. 

“How the hell can you have so many things in your bag, Elena ?” he exclaims “And what for ?” 

“You never know what might happen during the day.” I say to him, while drying my hand on a towel “Remember our first date ? I even had my laptop in my bag.” 

“Right. That doesn’t give me any clue on your pillbox.” 

“Front pocket, or inside pocket.” suggests Sebastien, making both Gerald and I frown really hard 

“How the fuck would you know that ?” teases his best friend 

“That is what I would do to have it easily at hand.” jokes Sebastien “And Elena seems to be a very practical woman.” 

“Inside pocket,” I tell my boyfriend “the large one. Just put your hand inside, go to the bottom, you should find it.” 

He triumphantly grabs the pillbox in my bag and gives it to me. I sneeze twice more before I manage to open it and find my allergy medication. I swallow it with a lot of relief and pray that it makes effect in the upcoming minutes. I place my bag at my feet and resume my breakfast, blinking more than usual to dismiss the tears in my eyes. Sebastien keeps trying to know more about me, which I find adorable, considering we are probably going to meet a lot more know that my couple with Gerald is official. 

“And how did you two first meet ?” he asks “That seems to be an interesting story.” 

“We met in a restaurant,” I start “I was minding my own business, and out of the blue I got offered a beer by a mysterious stranger.” 

“That was me.” precises Gerald “But she didn’t know it at the time. And I invited her to dare accept an invitation for a chat and maybe a dinner if she wanted to. She said yes, and that’s how we met.” 

“You’re still flirting like this ?” reacts Sebastien, rolling his eyes “I told you this doesn’t work.” 

“Well, it did work.” replies Gerald, grinning from ear to ear “And I am delighted it worked with Elena. She’s incredible, and I couldn’t have dreamt better, really.” 

“What if she had said no ?” questions his best friend “What would you have done ?” 

“I would probably have found someone else to flirt with,” answers Gerald with honesty “to spend the night with, you know…” 

“Oh yes, I know. The question is : did she know ?” says Sebastien, turning to me 

“I do.” I nod “Don’t worry about that, Sebastien, I know about his personality, and what he would have done if I hadn’t said yes to him. But we made very clear that if we were going to engage into a relationship, he would need to stop flirting around.” 

“I did.” confirms Gerald “I love you, Elena. And only you.” 

“I know that.” I say to my boyfriend, taking his hand in mine 

We both smile at Sebastien who nods. He seems convinced, at least for now that we are telling the truth. As surprising as it may be, Gerald changed, for the best, when he met me. And we are uniquely in love of each other. 

“So, I guess the next thing is to bring her to your place ?” adds Sebastien “Unless you’ve already been to Tourcoing with him, Elena ?” 

“I haven’t.” I answer 

Sebastien frowns and Gerald tells him : 

“It is in my plans, I swear. But for a weekend when I know I will actually have time to spend with her up there. If I have to run here and there, there’s no point in making her meet my universe.” 

“You get a point,” admits Sebastien “but we both know how much more yourself you get to be when you’re home.” 

“You’re the second person to tell me this.” I say “Is he that different ?” 

“When he is home,” explains Sebastien “he is no longer the Minister you know… He’s simply… Well, he’s simply Gerald. The cool, funny guy who likes to shake hands and have a word with everyone and a beer with fries in his favorite restaurant.” 

“Wait,” I cut Sebastien “you have a favorite restaurant ?” I ask my boyfriend 

“Several ones.” he smirks “I will take you to each and every one of them.” 

“How very nice of you.” I ironically say 

“Is she daring to make fun of you ?” jokes Sebastien “That’s new too.” 

“She is a very daring young woman.” chuckles Gerald “You’ll learn about that, Seb’.” 

“I do hope I’ll get to know.” smirks Sebastien “You two will have to come home one day, for dinner.” 

“We will,” I say “excuse me for a minute, I’ll be back.” 

I exit the kitchen as if to go to the bathroom but I stay behind the door, curious to know if they will discuss about me. 

“So ? What do you think about her ?” asks Gerald as soon as I’m out the door 

“She’s… very nice.” replies Sebastien “Balanced, down to earth, sweet and funny. But it’s more about you, Ge’. What are you feeling ?” 

“I’m in love. More than I have ever been of anyone else.” 

“More than with…” starts Sebastien 

“Oh yes,” cuts Gerald “much more. So much more…” 

There is a silence and my boyfriend starts again : 

“Do you remember when I was talking about finding the woman that I would like to marry and have children with ? This is her. I’m at that point in my life, and I know that she is that one. Of course, I will date her for as long as it is reasonable to do so until I eventually propose to her. But listen to me Sebastien, and mind my words : Elena is the woman I will marry and with whom I will have babies.” 

I bring my hand to my mouth to muffle a gasp and listen to Sebastien’s answer. 

“You sound awfully sure of yourself, Gerald.” he says, unconvinced “The last time I heard you like that, your marriage ended up in a divorce.” 

“I know,” sighs my boyfriend “but you should be happy for me, and supportive…” 

“Oh, you know I always will be, but I’m your best friend, and it is my role to tell you that you are rushing things. How long have you known her ? A month ? Two at best ? That is way too short to be sure she’s the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with.” 

“But…” tries Gerald 

“But I will support and encourage you no matter what,” adds Sebastien in whose voice I can guess he is grinning “and she’s really cute. I like her.” 

“Thank God !” exclaims Gerald “I believed for a minute you were not liking her,” he chuckles “don’t ever do that to me again !” 

“How could I not like her ? She’s you but in a woman’s body.” 

“She… Yes, I guess she is.” chuckles Gerald “I had not seen that like this.” 

“And…” hesitates Sebastien “In bed ?” 

How dares he ? I wonder if I should interrupt them now, but I am too curious to know what my lover will answer to that. 

“We… She…” 

Gerald struggles to answer and I am pretty sure he is blushing and smiling at the same time. 

“She ended up in my bed on the very first night,” he eventually explains “and we are… on the same wavelength. I have never been so satisfied in my sex life, Seb’.” 

“Really ?” answers his best friend 

“Oh yes. She’s everything I have ever dreamt of, and even better.” 

“That’s cool, I guess.” 

This is the moment I choose to come back in the kitchen, trying to obliviate all the things I’ve just heard. I let my hand slide in my boyfriend’s back, and I kiss Gerald on the back of the neck before taking my seat back next to him. 

“And how do you think your relatives will react when they’ll learn about you and Gerald, Elena ?” asks Sebastien to me 

“Oh…” I answer “That’s a question I’d rather not ask myself. But, I know that my parents and family would freak out for sure, my friends… I don’t know. They’d be suspicious at first, probably. Then, they’d be happy for me I suppose. As long as I am happy, I mean.” 

“I’m sure your friends would love me.” says Gerald 

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” I tell him “you’re… Well, I know the real you. But there are a lot of things that are said about you, and it doesn’t help people like you.” 

He is about to answer when I see him frown and pick up his cellphone in his jeans pocket. 

“Fuck,” he swears, his face as pale as a ghost “I have to go.” 

“What’s going on ?” I ask him, grabbing his hand to force him to talk before he runs back to our bedroom to get into some proper clothes 

“I can’t tell you.” he replies 

“You do know that I only have to open Twitter to know what’s going on, and that I’ll probably have even more information than you, honey ?” I sigh 

“She’s not wrong.” adds Sebastien to back me up 

“You two are insufferable idiots.” says Gerald “There is a possible terror attack in Marseille. But if anyone asks, I haven’t told you anything.” 

He runs to the bedroom to change his clothes because he will have to run downstairs in the Ministry to handle the crisis. 

“Elena, darling,” he keeps talking from inside the room while getting dressed “you can stay here if you want, but I probably won’t see you all day. I’m opening a crisis meeting, and if the situation is confirmed then I’ll have to fly down there as soon as it is safe to do so.” 

“Don’t worry about me,” I shout back at him “I’ll go back home. But please, keep me in touch on what you are doing and where you are.” 

“I will, I swear. Do you need me to call you a taxi ?” he suggests 

“I’ll take the tube.” I answer 

“Maybe, I could drop you off somewhere, Elena,” suggests Sebastien “on my way to the Ministry. If you want to.” 

“Oh.” I react “That would be... Very considerate of you. Are you certain that would be okay ?” 

“Very much. My car is waiting downstairs, and it has to drive me back there anyway… Where would you like to be dropped off ?” 

“Would you mind dropping me off at your Ministry ? I’ll go from there.” 

I see Sebastien frown really hard and Gerald, just back from the bedroom, and who’s now wearing a black suit and a matching tie, places a hand over his friend’s shoulder saying : 

“Pictures. She’s going for a photography tour, right, Elena ?” 

“Yes.” I nod 

“How was I supposed to know ?” laughs Sebastien 

We are interrupted by loud knocks on the door to which my boyfriend answers immediately : 

“COMING !” he shouts “I really have to go now, take your time you both. Elena, don’t forget to…” 

“Pick up my ID at the security booth, I know.” I interrupt him 

He laughs and stops on his way out to kiss me for a few seconds, really sorry that he has to run away so fast and so soon. When his security service knocks on the door for the second time he breaks our kiss and mumbles : 

“I hate them. Have a good day, sweetheart. I love you.” 

“Love you too !” 

He runs away and when the door slams shut after him I look over the table to Sebastien and tell him : 

“So… That’s the part when you tell me that if I break his heart you’ll kill me ?” 

“First of all : he’s more likely to break your heart than you to break his. And I wouldn’t make such a warning, but I have been there with him through his marriage, his divorce, and his countless flirtings : I hope you really are his true love, he deserves it. And you deserve it too, I believe.” 

“Thank you.” 

“From what I have seen today at least, you seem to be an excellent match with my best friend, and you two are incredibly sweet with each other. And he changed, he really changed, for the best.” 

I grin and he smiles at me. 

“I’m going to put on some clothes, I won’t be long.” 

When I come back ten minutes later, I am wearing a pair of jeans, a dark blue sweater and a pair of sneakers. I answer the silent question of my boyfriend’s best friend immediately : 

“Yes, I have some clothes here. Gerald and I thought this would be easier since I sometimes spend the night when it’s not really planned.” 

“That is clever,” he says “but soon.” 

“We argued about this too,” I explain to him “but it was the most practical solution. We decided that practical was better than me having to wear his clothes each time I was leaving after spending the night.” 

“Elena,” says Sebastien placing a hand over my arm “you don’t have to justify anything to me. You are making my best friend insanely happy, for me this is all that matters, really. And I like you ; you and him are alike in so many ways. As long as you are both sure that this is not a fling, then I’m very happy this relationship gets to exist.” 

“Thank you, Sebastien. Your approval means a lot to Gerald, I know this. And I am delighted to have finally met you.” 

I gather my belongings and close my bag. I make sure Boris has water and food for the day, and Sebastien and I clean the breakfast table before leaving. Downstairs, the Ministry is strangely quiet, and the atmosphere tense. In the security booth, by the exit door, there’s only one officer, who hands me my ID back wishing us a good day. 

Sebastien opens the rear door of his car for me but before I stop inside he tells me :

“Elena ?” 

“Hmm ?” I say 

“If Gerald ever does you wrong, or has an attitude he shouldn’t have with you… You can always come find me. I’ll kick his ass.” 

“Oh, that shouldn’t happen. But thank you, Sebastien. I will keep that in mind.” 

“I know my best friend, and I’ve witnessed him do things he is not proud of to this day, and I don’t want to let this happen to a pretty girl like you.” 

I nod and climb aboard the car, followed by the Minister. We buckle our seatbelts and Sebastien gives instructions to his driver to go back to the Ministry, rue Oudinot. I receive at this moment a message from my boyfriend on my cellphone. 

G.D. : I hope you’re still okay with Sebastien, I am sorry I had to run away so soon, I may have to fly to Marseille today.

Me : It’s alright, keep me in touch. May I ask you a question, though, if you have five minutes ? 

G.D. : Go on, we are awaiting info, so I have a couple of minutes for you, honey 

I sigh and look for the best way to formulate the question I am dying to ask my boyfriend. I give a quick glance to Sebastien who’s not paying any attention to me, busy on his own phone, and to his security officer who is keeping an eye on me, wondering why I do get to share the ride back to the Ministry. I then focus back on my phone to type my text. 

Me : You surely have noticed that I was wearing a very see-through t-shirt this morning, and yet, it doesn’t seem to have disturbed you at all to have me walking around like that near Sebastien… May I ask why ? 

G.D. : We don’t chase on the same grounds 

That answer makes me chuckle and then frown. What does it mean ? What could it possibly mean ? 

Me : Glad to see that I’m a “prey”. What do you mean by “the same grounds” ? Is he gay ? 

Could it be possible that my slightly homophobic boyfriend would have befriended a gay man ? That would explain his non-existent jealousy of this morning. 

G.D : I simply mean he knows to respect what’s mine. For the rest, that’s a conversation you need to have with him. 

Me : Oh, I’m so not having this conversation with your best friend I just met, Gerald. We’ll talk about this later, then. 

I put my phone back in my pocket as we arrive at the Ministry, and Sebastien says to me : 

“Have Gerald call me to organize a dinner at my place. A relaxed moment, just the three of us, and I swear I won’t pepper you with too many questions.” 

“I will tell that to my boyfriend, then. Thanks for the ride, Sebastien, have a nice day.” 

“Have a nice day too, Elena.” 

We shake hands and I get out of the car, in the Ministry’s courtyard. I give one last look and smile to Sebastien, and vanish away in the streets of Paris, ready to get on with my day. When I texted Gerald earlier, I noticed I had a few missed calls, and a lot of texts and notifications, and I can be sure they’re all from people who’ve seen the pictures of me and Gerald in the pub yesterday. But for now, I want to keep living, as if the secret wasn’t out yet. I want to keep living in denial, just for a little while longer, and pretend that Gerald and I are still a complete secret to the eyes of the world. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo? What did you think of that chapter?
> 
> Sébastien dropping by to know more about what Gerald has to say? Him meeting Elena? How he reacts to Gerald and Elena telling him they are dating? The questions he asks? How unconvinced he sounds at first? Boris' interruption ? Elena leaving the two men alone to discuss? Seb' wanting to make sure Gerald truly loves Elena? Him enquiring about their sex life? Elena pretending she heard nothing? Gerald having to run away and refusing to tell them why? Seb' offering a ride to Elena? Sébastien and Elena chatting once they're alone? The texts Elena exchanges with Gerald in the car? The denial she still wants to maintain when she gets on with her day?
> 
> What do you expect in the upcoming chapters?


	9. The talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place in the evening of the previous one.
> 
> It's quite heavy and tense so brace yourselves, but there's tenderness and relief towards the middle 🤫
> 
> Don't forget to leave a comment!

“Good to see you back here, Miss Elena.” says Fabien to me “How are you after the events of last night ?” 

“I will be alright, I guess.” I shrug “Thanks for asking.” 

I hand him my ID, and he surprisingly gives me a set of keys in exchange. 

“I can’t go up with you,” he explains to answer my interrogative gaze “the boss asked me to give you his keys so you can access the flat. I am alone here, the rest of the team is with him in Marseille, and I can’t leave…” 

“Oh.” 

I grab the keys and smile at the security officer before stepping inside the Ministry. It is the first time I am allowed to go in by myself, and it feels a bit strange to be walking in those halls alone, and unsupervised. The atmosphere is still as tense and as quiet as this morning when I left with Sebastien. Fortunately, the events in Marseille were less serious than feared at first, but my boyfriend still had to make a quick trip there. On his way to the plane, he managed to convince me, over the phone, to spend the night at his place, promising me he’ll join me in the early hours of the evening, and that he really wanted to see me. I agreed and only went back to my flat to grab my laptop before coming back to Beauvau after my photography day. But as I unlock the door of the Ministry’s apartment, I know there is something else awaiting me tonight : I will have to face the harsh truth of our relationship having leaked online. I muted my phone all day, but I can’t avoid all calls and texts any longer. I have especially seen that my best friend, and my sister have both tried to call me several times today, and I fear the worst about those conversations to come. 

Boris comes running to me as soon as I close the door, and I kneel down to pet him for a moment, lost in my thoughts. I guess I should call my best friend first, she’s probably going to be less of a problem than my family. I grab my phone, still petting Boris, and I sit more comfortably on the floor as I dial her number on my phone. 

“Hello.” I say when she picks up the call 

“How dare you hide that from me ? Did you really think I would not find out ?” 

“I…” 

I sigh deeply and bite my lower lip before talking again. 

“I’m sorry, Julie, this is all very new, and I got a bit hooked up into this. I did not get time to sit and have a talk with anyone about… him.” 

“Did he force you ? Did he rape you ?” she asks with concern in her voice 

“Oh, dear God, no.” I react immediately “Why do people always assume he’s a rapist ? He’s far from the reputation the media are giving him, trust me. He is sweet, caring and gentle. And I love him.” 

“Then why haven’t you told anyone ? Why haven’t you told me ?” asks Julie plainly concerned “You usually are the first one to tell me about such things.” 

“Because I knew this would cause trouble…” I explain “He’s not a random guy I met in a bar… Well, he is. But he isn’t at the same time, and you know precisely that our age gap is also a problem, and his reputation. Oh, and his position in the government obviously.” 

“Of all men, you had to fall for him ?” she jokes 

“You know me, you know my tastes in men, you knew that one day I would fall for one guy that would cause trouble…” 

“And how long have you two been seeing each other ?” 

“A bit more than a month. But it’s a very serious relationship, Julie. I know what you’re going to say, so let me stop you right there : it’s not rushed, I’m not a little girl anymore, and I know exactly what I am doing. I love him, and I know he is the one.” 

“Oh, Elena,” she says “you’re cute and romantic, as always. But this is way too soon to know if he’s ‘the one’ as you say.” 

“But he is. I am going to spend the rest of my life with him, and we are perfectly happy like that.” 

I can hear her sigh and the silence between us is heavy. She’s my best friend, but she knows more than anyone that I can get excited really quickly when it comes to men. And it could fade, maybe. But I know that with Gerald it won’t. I found my match, the one that I had been looking for all my life, and I know we were meant to be together. 

“You sound absolutely crazy, do you know that, Elena ?”

“I know. But I love him. And he is incredible.” 

“I can bet he’s incredible, or you wouldn’t be taking the risk of dating him, but are you sure it’s worth exposing yourself like that ?” 

“I don’t care. I want to be with him, no matter the cost.” 

“Alright,” she concludes “I guess nothing that I can say will make you change your mind anyway. Have you talked about it to your family, yet ?” 

“No.”

“Oh. Your father is going to kill you.” she points out 

“I know,” I reply “why do you think we tried to keep that a secret for as long as we could ? My family is never going to accept him, and that’s why I began my calls with you.” 

“I will always support you, but he’s going to break your heart, Elena. Have you seen him ? He’s twice your age, he’s handsome, he’s got power, he can have all the girls he wants.” 

“But he wants me.”

“For now.” she says 

“Forever.” I reply “He wants me forever, that is what we told each other, and I trust him.” 

“Let’s hope you’re not making a fool of yourself, then.” tells Julie “When are you coming to Lyon to see me ?” 

“I don’t know,” I shrug “soon I hope. Or maybe you could come to Paris, and I’ll introduce you to Gerald. And you will see that he’s far from the monster you describe.” 

“That is not what I said,” she sighs once again “but be careful, okay ? I have to go, keep me updated on how it went with your family, please.” 

“Okay, bye Julie.” 

“Bye, Elena.” 

I hang up with her, and Boris, tired of being touched, runs away. I end up sitting alone next to the entrance door of my boyfriend’s apartment in one of the most prestigious Ministry’s of my country. This is ridiculous. I gather my strength and pull myself up, bringing my bag with me in the kitchen. I have to call my sister back, but first I want to know where my boyfriend is and how long I have until he comes back home. 

Me : I am home. When are you coming back ? 

The answer is almost immediate. 

G.D. : We are going to go back to the plane, I can’t wait to get back to you. Love you. 

Okay, that gives me roughly two hours and a half. Maybe three. I pull my laptop off my bag and turn it on. While it loads, I prepare myself some tea, and take my allergy medication while I still think about it. I decide myself on calling my sister via Skype, so I can see her while we talk. My sister is twice my age, she’s actually my step-sister, but since she’s always been part of my family, we’ve had this indefectible bond since my birth, and I call her sister. 

“Hello,” I say when she picks up the call as I wave at her “how are you ?” 

“Where are you ?” she frowns immediately, noticing I am not in my kitchen “Don’t tell me you’re at his place.” 

“I… am.” I admit 

This discussion is going to be so tense. 

“Let me speak,” I say to Louise, my sister “I know you’re mad and worried, but I love him. It may seem crazy, but Gerald is a good guy. His reputation is not at all like the media describe him to be, and I am very lucky to have met him.” 

“But he’s twice your age,” she argues “and in a position to make you lose your mind.” 

“I am very aware of his position, thank you.” I sigh “I know that he is a peculiar man, but we love each other. We truly do. And we weren’t supposed to be photographed together yesterday evening, but we got spotted by a journalist who… did his job.” 

“Well done. How long have you been seeing him ?” 

“More than a month.” I honestly answer 

“And you already live with him ?” 

“I don’t,” I explain “but I spend the night here from time to time.” 

“And yet, he’s not here.” she points out “I just saw him on TV, twenty minutes ago, in Marseille. That awfully sounds like living with him.” 

“I am waiting for him to come back, he will be back in a couple of hours, like every evening. Louise, I love him. I love him sincerely and honestly.” 

“Are you pregnant ? Is that why you’re stuck with him ?” 

“No, I’m not.” I chuckle “I know how to not fall pregnant, and we’ve been careful. I’m with him by choice, he has no power over me, nor is he holding me against my will.” 

She seems unconvinced and we stare at each other for a minute or so. I love my sister, but we’re so different, and from two different generations that see the world in a different way. 

“Oh, good evening Elena,” says my brother-in-law who just appeared by Louise’s side “you provoked quite a drama online yesterday.” 

“I know,” I say “that wasn’t really planned. I would have preferred the pictures not to leak, but I guess it’s one way to let the world know…” 

“At least your name is not known yet.” he comments 

“Hmm,” I nod “Gerald says it is a matter of days until they find it. It will depend on whether they get really invested in our love-story or not.” 

“So,” hesitates my brother-in-law “is this something serious ?” 

“Very serious. Both for me and for him. We found each other, in a way that we didn’t think possible.” 

He gives a quick glance at his wife and pats her on the shoulder as if to say “You see, she’s perfectly reasonable”. My brother-in-law and I have always been very close, and he winks at me before going away again. I’m once again alone with my sister. Boris leaps on the table, making me jump in fear and I sigh. 

“Not now, Boris.” I tell him “What do you want ?” 

The cat appears in front of the camera and my sister can’t help but smile to see me talking to the cat. The animal meows loudly and looks at me as if to ask for something. 

“Ooooh…” I react “Let me guess : you want water ?” 

I tell my sister to wait for a minute and I fill Boris’ water bowl before coming back to the table to continue this difficult talk.

“So you’re not pregnant, and you do say he has no power over you,” resumes my sister “then why are you with him ?” 

“Because he is kind, funny, considerate, charming, and very much to my taste.” 

“And twice your age.” she adds

“Barely.” I correct her 

“Don’t play smarter with me,” she warns “you know exactly what I mean. He’s no man for you. You are from two VERY different worlds, and you won’t adapt to his lifestyle.” 

“How can you know ?” 

My tone was harsher than expected and I see her flinch slightly in front of her screen. We are going to have a heated argument if none of us makes the effort of trying to understand the other. 

“Because he’s a Minister. He spend his days and nights roaming the country, visiting police precincts, having to attend various ceremonies and I-don’t-even-know-what-else. You deserve better than to be waiting for him to come back in the evenings. What about the weekends ? Christmas ? Your birthday ? Have you realized that he will have to work on those days ?” 

“I know, Gerald and I discussed that very early on in our relationship, I know that I will have to make concessions in order to be with him. But this is what I want.” 

“You’re too young to know what you want !” 

“I’m twenty-three !” I reply “And I know exactly that Gerald is the man I love and with whom I want to spend my whole life !” 

“You have not even known him for two months !” 

“I have known him enough to know that he is the one for me.” I argue “Sometimes you don’t need months or years to just know…” 

“You’re young, you never had a real boyfriend before, you don’t know what it is to live with someone !” she replies 

“YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME !” 

I screamed, and it took even myself by surprise. I won’t let anyone get between Gerald and I. We love each other, and I will fight everyone who dares to say otherwise. I know I hurt my sister by saying that, but it is too late to go backwards now. 

“I think you are mistaking your passion, which is a good thing, for a love that could last for long. And I really wish you hadn’t put yourself in such a position.” 

“In what position ?” 

“You are going to ruin your life, Elena.” she sighs “You’ll be known forever as the ‘girl who dated Gerald Darmanin’. No matter what happens, your name will be linked with his.” 

“I don’t care. At all.” 

“You are blinded by this passion you are feeling for him now. But what when it fades ? What will happen after that ? And what about his rape accusations ? You were one of the firsts to blame him, if I remember correctly.” 

“He is not a rapist.” I tell her, sighing and rolling my eyes at the same time “Those allegations are false, they have been entirely false since the beginning, and they come from a woman who tries to get money from him now that he’s got power.” 

“How do you know that ?” she challenges me 

“Louise,” I tell her “he’s my boyfriend. And we actually discussed that on our very first date.” 

“Oh, because you two go on dates ?” 

The irony was very strong in her last sentence and it feels like a knife straight in my heart. How dares she ? 

“Yes, we do.” I nod “And we have been, for long before the picture leaked.” 

“I don’t think ‘for long’ would be the appropriate phrasing” says Louise “I assume you haven’t told your parents yet. Dad doesn’t know ?” 

“No, he doesn’t. They don’t, I mean… I haven’t told them, they don’t have social media so I guess they haven’t heard about it yet.” 

“Then you’d better tell them before they learn it by another mean. Especially Dad.” 

Without any further word, she hangs up on me, leaving me speechless and on the verge of crying. Obviously I did not expect this conversation to be all happy faces and cute words, but I would have hoped she could at least try to understand my point of view. She didn’t even try. I wipe the tears now rolling on my cheeks with the back of my sleeves, and answer a couple of messages on my Instagram and Twitter accounts from friends asking me if it’s really me on the pictures they saw. There is no point in denying any longer that I am having a relationship with Gerald, so I answer that yes, it is I. I then shut down my laptop, and go take a shower to try and relax. It doesn’t work. I feel even more miserable afterwards. All the words I have exchanged with my sister are coming back to my brain in a loop. I change into my pajama, and grab the Darmanin-sweatshirt in my boyfriend’s closet because I want something soft and warm to cuddle into while I wait for him. 

I sit on the sofa and look for a movie on my cellphone to watch while I wait for my boyfriend to come home. I am mentally too exhausted to think, or focus on anything, and I lie down on the couch, my phone in hand to keep watching. 

“Elena ? Elena, sweetheart ?” 

I open my eyes, realizing only then that I have closed them, and that I must have fallen asleep. Gerald is sitting on the edge of the couch, his tender gaze on me, his hand brushing softly against my cheek. 

“Are you alright ?” 

I look up at him, and the words stay stuck in my throat. I can’t tell him that my family will never accept him for who he is, no matter how much we love each other. I can’t tell him that my sister and I argued because of him. I can’t tell him that I will have to tell my parents rather sooner than later, and that it will be a complete nightmare. I can’t tell him that one of the first questions everyone asks is if he raped me… I just can’t. Once again, tears are blurring my vision and I just curl up on the couch, not to have to face Gerald. I expect him to leave, but instead I keep feeling his presence by my side. I frown and look up to see him sit on the floor, his back to the edge of the couch, busy unlacing his shoes. 

“What are you doing ?” I mumble 

“I’m staying with you.” he replies “I don’t know what happened, but you are obviously not doing okay, and it breaks my heart.” 

He gets rid of his shoes, and places them neatly underneath the table. He leans more comfortably against the couch, and tilts his head backwards so he can see me. Our faces are millimeters from each other, and in that proximity, I manage to open up a little bit. 

“I… had a few people over the phone, and it went wrong.” 

“Who ?” he questions 

“My best friend first,” I explain “she’s… worried but she’ll get through it. And then I got my sister. That’s when it derailed entirely.” 

“Do you want to tell me about it ?” 

“You can probably guess most of it. You’re too old, too different, too shady for me. I am way too young to be in such a relationship, and I don’t know anything about love. Oh and of course there’s no way for me to be sure that our relationship will last. That’s more or less what she said.” 

Gerald stays silent for a moment, his eyes closed, and I could nearly hear his brain working really fast. When he reopens his eyes, he seems resolute, and he turns his whole body in my direction. His hand slides on my cheek, and he kisses me on the forehead. 

“I love you, Elena. I love you, and I won’t let anyone say otherwise. And if they don’t accept it, screw them. I know you’re hurt, and I understand how much you must be hurting right now, but we’re stronger together. And we will prove to them that we were meant to be together.” 

“What if they’re right ?” I ask “What if we don’t last ? My name and yours will forever be paired. Those pictures will forever be online. You don’t care, your reputation won’t suffer from it, but what about mine ?” 

“Elena, even if we break up, which won’t happen I’m sure,” he sighs “I’ll be one guy you dated, and that is all. Don’t worry about that, please. I can assure you my ex-wife has no trouble with being the ex Mrs-Darmanin.” 

“Because no one knows her.” 

“We have been married for six years. There are way more people than you expect who know her, sweetheart. But that’s just how things go.”

I nod, and we kiss each other, softly, as if to make sure we are still here for each other. I sit back up on the sofa, and Gerald, now kneeling on the floor, lets one of his hands slide in my back, the other one in my neck. 

“What about your parents ?” asks my boyfriend, his forehead against mine 

“I haven’t called them. I can’t do that. My sister told me : I have to tell them before someone else does, but… I can’t.” 

“What are you afraid of ?” questions Gerald 

“They will be a hundred times worse than the others,” I tell him “I am still their baby girl. And you’re the big bad wolf who’s stealing me from them.” 

“The big bad wolf ?” he chuckles “Come on… I’m not that scary, am I ?” 

“No, but you have a terrible reputation. And you are way older than me.” 

He pouts and seems unconvinced by my arguments. But I know I am right. If I tell my parents I am dating the Interior Minister, they will probably have a heart attack. And if not, they will scream at me like never before. Before I could react, Gerald grabs my phone on the couch and walks a few steps back. I see him type a few things on the screen and when he brings the phone to his ear I regret not having locked my phone with a password. 

“Yes… Yes, Sir… No, your daughter is perfectly fine,” says Gerald over the phone, prompting me to look at him in bewilderment “I am Gerald, and I am your daughter’s boyfriend…” 

I jump off the couch and run after Gerald to grab the phone from his hands. I can’t believe he dared do that. This is going to make things so much worse. Gerald escapes me and keeps talking over the phone. 

“I know this is unconventional, but she couldn’t resolve herself to tell you. I thought this would be the best way…” 

I try to gesture to Gerald to cut the conversation short, but my boyfriend pretends not to see me, and continues his conversation with my father. I am on the verge of tears, when I finally manage to snatch the phone from his hands. A quick glance at the screen makes me realize he didn’t call anyone, he only pretended to do so. I look back at him and we both burst into uncontrollable laughter. He was so good at pretending, and I got so, so worried. I end up in his arms, my head on his shoulder, and he holds me tightly against his chest. 

“You damn idiot !” I exclaim “You really got me worried !” 

“I wouldn’t ever do that without your approval,” laughs Gerald “that would be insane.” 

“Indeed, insane, and the best way to get killed by my father.” 

We are still laughing, but, slowly, and without me realizing how it happens, my laughter turns into sobs, and I end up crying in my lover’s arms, unleashing all the tension from the evening. Gerald keeps me in his arms while I cry, and he whispers in my ear : 

“I am sorry that our relationship isn’t as easy as we would like to.” 

He plants a soft kiss in my neck and it helps me calm down a little bit. I wipe off the tears from my eyes with the sleeves of my sweatshirt and I look at Gerald. He places a finger underneath my chin and he looks deep into my eyes before saying : 

“You and I together. Against all odds.” 

“Against all odds.” I nod 

With him, I feel invincible. This sounds silly, but he gives me the strength I need to keep going. I manage to stop crying, and he kisses me on the lips, tenderly, with a lot of devotion. 

“What is your comfort food ?” asks my extraordinary boyfriend “You know, the food you eat when…”

“I know what comfort food is.” I interrupt him “Pasta with tomato sauce. I’ll cook.” 

“Let me do it,” he argues “I can do that for you.” 

“I need to do something Gerald, I want to do it.” 

“Sure ?” 

“Yes.” 

I nod, steal a kiss from his lips and escape his arms to go to the kitchen. Gerald has taken another direction and I overhear him inside the bedroom. He’s probably changing clothes to feel more comfortable. I grab a pack of pasta in the cupboard and pour some water in a pan, when I hear my boyfriend say in my back : 

“Do you mind if I put some music on while you cook ?” 

“Of course not,” I reply “but if you prefer, we can talk about your day. No obligation, of course.” I shrug “But if you want to, I can listen.” 

“I don’t want to.” he brushes off “This was painful enough.” 

I feel his arms wrap around my waist, and his lips on the back of my neck. 

“Hmm… I love that.” I say, bringing my hand to the back of his head to keep him close to me “Can you just tell me that you are okay ? About today ?” 

“I am. No one died, and that’s good.” 

“Good.” 

He kisses me once more in the back of the neck and lets go of me to go grab his bluetooth speaker in the living-room. I find a brick of tomato sauce in the cupboard, and pour it in another pan to reheat it while my boyfriend looks for some music. I find myself surprised to hear some guitar music and when I turn around to ask Gerald what song he chose in his playlist my jaw drops to the floor and I nearly drop the wooden spoon I had in hand. My lover is the one playing the guitar, a huge grin on his face, but his eyes focused on his fingers rather than on myself. 

“Oh. My. God.” I mutter 

“Don’t be that surprised,” he finally says when looking up “you knew I played, right ?”

“Of course, but…” 

“It had been an awfully long time I hadn’t played,” he explains “but I said to myself a few days ago that I would like to get back to it, for you. And I worked on a few songs.” 

“For me ?” I whisper 

“Of course. You are the one who makes me want to play again, because I am happy.” 

I give a quick glance to the boiling water to make sure it doesn’t overflow and I close the distance with my boyfriend to kiss him as he sits on one of the kitchen stools. 

“I love you, Gerald, I love you so much !” 

“I love you too, my sweet Elena. Do you know Boby Lapointe ?” 

“I know a few lines from a few songs,” I smirk “but it is known that you’re a fan.” 

He blushes slightly, and he starts playing while I get back to the cooking. He begins singing, unashamed and with a clear voice that makes my heart melt entirely. I hum along with him, singing when I know the lyrics, and he switches from Lapointe to Brassens as the pasta is cooking in the pan. I set the table as we keep singing, and he only stops when I put the pasta in our plates. He goes back to the living-room to place his guitar, and comes back to have dinner with me. 

“It was lovely seeing you play,” I comment “we should do that more often.” 

“As often as I have time, I swear.” 

“Will you play for our children too ?” 

He nearly chokes on what he had in mouth, and drinks half his glass of water before asking me : 

“Are you pregnant ?” 

“Oh, God, no !” I laugh “Sorry for the scare… I was simply projecting into a possible future with you.” 

“Never do that again to me.” he warns “We have been so careful and… not that I wouldn’t want to be a father but… it’s so soon, you know…” 

“I know. That doesn’t answer my question : will you play for our children ?” 

“Yes, of course. Dare I ask how many children you would like to have ?” 

“Two, three. What about you ?” 

“One or two.” he answers “I have never seen me as a father of a numerous family, I’d rather have few children but raise them well.” 

“Same for me.” I nod “But not now, right ?” 

“Of course.” 

We both smile and keep eating. From time to time, for the simple enjoyment of it, he takes my hand in his and plays with my fingers, making me grin. I want this life with him : the little, quiet and simple moments with him. The moments when he can drop the Minister’s costume to be just the man he truly is ; when he can only be Gerald. I fell in love with this man, and no matter what happens, I know our relationship is meant to last. 

“I called my mother by the way.” he tells me, when our plates are empty “I told her that I met an amazing woman, that I was very much in love, but that it was still too soon for me to introduce both of you to each other.” 

“What did she say ?” 

“That she was very eager to meet you,” he smirks “obviously. But she was happy for me and that if I could settle down it would do me good.” 

“She’s probably right, you know.” I joke 

“I know.” admits Gerald “My young years are behind me, I can’t keep flirting around.” 

He sees me frown and adds : 

“Not that I want to anymore.” 

“Better,” I whisper “much, much better.” 

“You are as jealous as I am, my sweet Elena.” he grins

“Oh, yes !” I exclaim “But that is the proof I love you.” 

I get up from my seat and join him on the other side of the table, sitting on his lap, his arm closing around my waist. 

“I love you very much, Mister Darmanin,” I say “and you’re enough for me. Screw everyone else, we don’t need them. You and I against the rest of the world.” 

“You do know that some people are very happy for us too ?” he says “Marlène had the chance to talk to me for about two minutes today, and she was very mad I didn’t tell her before but she is happy for us. You made a very good first impression on her that one time you crossed paths. Oh and I had Seb’ over the phone on my way back here, to debrief the day and especially the breakfast we had the three of us this morning. He adores you, and he believes we’re a perfect match for each other.” 

“Oh, yes,” I react “he told me that too this morning. He thinks I’m you, but as a woman.” 

“It is a theory worth dwelling on, I imagine.”

We both laugh and I tell him : 

“I have a few friends too that are happy for us. But very curious too.” 

“Do not tell them too much about us.” 

“I won’t, don’t worry.” 

I kiss him on the lips and wrap my arms around his neck. I sit more comfortably on his lap, one leg on each side of his thigh, facing him and I can already feel the temperature rising between us. His hands travelled in my back, underneath the sweater I borrowed from him and his mouth is now in my neck. As usual, it is easier for us to do the talking with our hands and lips than to speak, and we are ignited from within by an uncontrollable desire that makes us lose all common sense. I push him back on the chair, keeping him firmly pressed against the back of it, with both of my hands on his shoulders. 

“Please,” I whisper in his ear “for once, let me be in charge.” 

He groans, dissatisfied, but he nods and kisses me to give me his approval. I get to be in charge. I know he prefers to be, but tonight I need to get this reassurance that I can be powerful, that I can control something. That, at least, something in my life is within my reach. I am still straddling him on the chair and I remove my hairband, because I know he likes me better with my hair undone. 

“You are so tantalizing when you do that, Elena.” he smirks 

“Oh, when I do this ?” I reply shaking my head a little to make my hair flow on my shoulders 

“Stop that,” he pleads, biting his lip “you have no idea how much I want to put you on that table and fuck you until you beg me to stop.”

I am surprised by the sincerity with which he blurted that out. I smirk and blush a little at the same time. I place my hand on his cheek and say : 

“Not tonight.” 

“I know,” he sighs “but don’t make it last for too long, please.” 

“I could torture you,” I joke “and study your reactions…” 

“Please don’t.” 

I laugh and kiss him as an answer. I move my hips slightly, trying to evaluate if he’s already hard in the shorts he is wearing. I force him to tilt his head backwards, to give me better access to his throat that I cover from top to bottom and then back up with kisses. I know his skin to be sensitive in the neck and the moan of contentment that escapes his lips when I reach the spot just below his ear confirms that I was right about this weakness of him. I lower one of my hands between us, and introduce it under the waistband of my boyfriend's shorts. He is hard as a rock already, and he groans when my fingers wrap around his rod. 

“I want to be inside you, Elena.” he grunts “Please.” 

“That much ?” 

“Oh yes !” he chuckles 

“Do you have condoms at hand ?” I ask 

“They’re on the other side of the table,” he sighs “in the drawer.” 

I glance in that direction, he glances too, and we both look at each other with resignation. 

“Fine,” I say “but don’t you dare finish inside of me. Understood ?” 

He nods, but without enough conviction. I place a finger underneath his chin and force him to look at me in the eyes. 

“Understood, honey ?” 

“Yes.” he asserts “I swear.” 

“Good boy.” 

I kiss him on the lips and help him lower his shorts. I remove my pyjama bottoms and climb again on his lap, impaling myself on him, his cock diving inside me. I tilt my head backwards, and he wraps his arms around my waist to help me keep my balance. I moan his name, unashamed, knowing that in his arms I can let go of all of my inhibitions and truly express my pleasure and feelings. I struggle a little bit to get him entirely inside of me, and he thrusts his hips forward to ease the process. 

“OH GERALD !” I exclaim “This feels so good !” 

“It does,” he mutters, kissing me in the neck while I adjust my position on him “you’re so tight around me, Elena.” 

“Anyone would,” I chuckle “you’re above average in size, dare I remind you ?” 

He grins and we kiss each other, with even more passion than before. I have both of my arms around his neck, and he has both of his around my body. I undulate my hips around his cock, making us both moan of pleasure. The world could crumble around us, we wouldn’t care, we wouldn’t even notice. Right this second, it is simply us and our bodies burning with pleasure, so close to orgasm already. I stop kissing my boyfriend to let him know that I am close to the non-return point and he nods. 

“Do you want me to…” I start, slowing the rhythm of my moves on him 

“Stay on me,” he begs “I want to feel you.” 

Well aware of the risk I am taking if he doesn’t manage to control his own pleasure, I abandon myself entirely to him and I orgasm seconds after, screaming his name, my eyes closed, my head tilted backwards, my whole body shaking. He holds me tightly against his chest for as long as I need to cool down and when I finally reopen my eyes, I lay them on him and notice he is grinning. 

“You are so beautiful, Elena.” he tells me “Pleasure suits you.” 

I blush heavily and answer : 

“Thank you handsome, now, let me finish you.” 

“You don’t have to.” 

“But I want to.” 

I steal a kiss from his lips and get off of him. I kneel down on the floor, between his legs, and without further notice, I lick his dick from base to top. His rod is glistening from my pleasure and some precum, dripping from its tip. Gerald is tempted to push on the back of my head to press me further between his thighs, but he refrains himself from doing so when I glance upwards at him to remind him that I am still in charge. He only grabs my hair to keep them from falling in front of my face but without tugging on them like he so often does so. I hear a guttural moan come out of his throat when I part my lips to suck on him. 

“Elena,” he moans “my sweet little devil… Keep going… There… Deeper…” 

His encouraging words make me go deeper on him, and I know he is already really close from reaching cloud nine. I keep my eyes into his and we don’t break this link, even when he ejaculates, directly into my mouth. He did not warn me, but there was no need to, I felt his rod twitch and stiffen as my tongue circled around it and I was expecting a heavy load of semen down my throat. I take great care of swallowing everything and cleaning his cock, making sure to make him moan my name a few more times. I then get back up on my feet, Gerald struggling to catch his breath and I get back into my pajama pants. I climb back on his lap and in his arms to enjoy a sweet moment with him while we rest for a few more seconds. I stay in this position, silent but feeling complete and empowered by this short and intense intercourse. 

“I love you Gerald,” I whisper in his ear “and no amount of criticism on our relationship will change my feelings for you.” 

“I love you too, Elena.” he tells me, kissing my neck “More than I have ever loved anyone else.” 

We keep hugging for a few more minutes to catch our breath and I tell him : 

“You should go shower, love. Then we’ll go to bed together.” 

“Sure. I guess it’s still out of the question for us to shower together ?” 

“Yes.” 

He smirks and we kiss each other tenderly before I get off of him so he can go take his shower. I stay in the kitchen and I drink a glass of water to cool down a little. I feel empowered now, invincible almost, and I decide on doing the only thing left on my list for tonight : calling my parents. Now that I am sure about my couple, I know I can confront them. I dial their number on my phone and put the call through the speaker. For the first five minutes we speak about our days, but I quickly interrupt them to shift on the topic that made me call them. 

“I have something to tell you.” I say “I met someone.” 

“Oh.” reacts my mother 

This is the first time I tell them such a thing and the silence settles between us. 

“I’m dating him,” I resume “and this is a serious relationship.” 

“Where did you meet him ?” asks my father “At work ?” 

“No,” I answer “in a bar. But if I tell you now it’s because… Hmm… You know him…” 

I struggle to say the next sentence but now that I have started, nothing can stop me anymore : 

“I am dating Gerald Darmanin.” 

This silence lasts for even longer than the previous one. I can very well picture their faces even if I can’t see them right now. Gerald comes back from his shower right this moment, and as soon as he opens the door, he notices my face, and the phone on the table. I lay a finger on my mouth to let my boyfriend know he needs to stay silent and he nods to let me know he understood the message. He walks up to the kitchen and grabs the sticky note pad and a pen. He scribbles down something and slides it under my nose. I read “Do you want me to be of any help ?”. I shake my head to let him know that no, it is okay, I’ll handle that call myself, but I grab his hand and pull him toward me. He understands and he wraps his arms around me while I keep talking with my parents. 

“But why ?” finally blurts out my mother 

“Does there need to be a reason ?” I sigh 

“That’s a joke, right ?” asks my father “You are not seriously dating… HIM ?” 

“I am, Dad. This is no joke, I wouldn’t be joking about about such matter. And if I am telling you tonight, it is because there are pictures of us on the internet. Not my name. Not yet, but pictures…” 

“Oh Elena,” says my mother “how could you have been so reckless ?” 

“It’s not recklessness,” I argue “and we have been seeing each other for quite some time now. Oh, and before you ask, because that’s what everyone else asked me : no, I’m not pregnant, no, he did not rape me, no I’m not under any form of coercion or threat or under pressure. I love him, and he loves me.” 

I feel the arms of Gerald hold me closer at the waist, and his lips softly brush against the skin of my neck. But I must not let myself get distracted. 

“But he’s way older than you !” says my dad in a very annoyed tone “How can you be sure he’s not playing with you ?” 

“Because he is far from the man you think he is.” 

“And the age gap ?” reacts my mother 

“What about the age gap ?” I tell her harshly “Look at the President and his wife. Lots of couples have an age difference, and there is no problem with this.” 

“It’s not the same !” cuts my father, now clearly pissed 

“WHY ?” I scream “Because my boyfriend is older than me ? If it had been the other way around would it have been acceptable for you ? Or do you have a problem with the fact that I am dating someone ? Anyone ?” 

Gerald kisses me in the neck to try calm me down, but I can’t. I’m too much on edge. I knew my parents wouldn’t be able to understand. 

“Look,” I say to them “I just wanted to let you know. Because of the pictures, and before anyone else did. We will talk about it later again, if you want to. Or we won’t. For tonight, I have discussed it enough already. I wish you a good night.” 

“Good night.” grumbles my father 

“Good night.” adds my mother 

I hang up on them and stay silent, for a very very long time. 

“Elena ?” whispers Gerald “Elena ? Are you alright ?” 

I am still turning my back to him, and he can’t see that I am crying, silently, discreetly. I am mad against the world, against my parents, against all those judgmental people who will never accept our relationship. Why ? Why can’t I be free to love the man I want ? 

“My sweet Elena…” whispers my boyfriend in my ear “You were so brave to talk to your parents tonight. And I am so proud of you. I love you, so much. And I am sure they will eventually come around the idea of us being together.” 

I wipe my tears with the back of my hand and finally turn to him. With no words, I put my forehead against his, and we stay like that, looking into each other’s eyes, in a state of mutual understanding. His hand comes on my cheek, and his thumb strokes my skin tenderly. I bring my own hand on top of his, and I tell him : 

“I am so sorry you had to witness this painful conversation.” 

“I am glad I did,” he replies “I need to understand what you are facing… But…” 

“But what ?”

“The rape thing,” he sighs “is it something people really ask ?” 

“Somehow yes.” I answer, closing my eyes and biting my lower lip “I mean… This is something they always have in a corner of their mind.” 

When I reopen my eyes, I immediately see how deeply hurt he is. Those rape accusations have destroyed his life, on so many levels, and they keep haunting him at the worst times. 

“Gerald, honey,” I say “I know that you’re incapable of doing such a thing. And I don’t care what people may think. Now, please, can we go to bed ? I would like to cuddle with you and talk about something else.” 

“May I get a kiss first ?” 

“Of course.” 

We kiss each other with a lot of passion, and go together to the bedroom. Gerald sits on the bed, his back against the headboard and he opens his arms for me to snuggle into. I climb next to him and find a comfortable position against his chest. My hand is mindlessly playing between his pectoral muscles and I recall our earlier conversation over dinner. There is something I haven’t told him yet, and I feel like this might be the moment to do so. 

“Gerald, there is something I’d like to tell you… I mean… I haven’t been entirely honest earlier and… Shit, that must sound awfully worrying.” I chuckle 

I look up at him and he nods, a worried smile on his lips. 

“Tell me. You know you can tell me about anything.” he says “Except if you have murdered someone, then you probably shouldn’t tell me.” 

“I haven’t. Murdered someone, I mean.” 

We both grin like teenagers and I keep talking : 

“When we were speaking about having children… We both assumed and implied that…” 

I fall silent, not sure about the best way to formulate my thoughts. The topic I want to bring up is a bit touchy, and I am not so certain now it was a good idea to bring this forward tonight. Not after the long and exhausting day we had. 

“Elena ?” says Gerald “Tell me.” 

“We both assumed it would be natural, biological children, right ?” 

“Yes.” frowns my boyfriend, not clearly seeing what I want to talk about 

“How would you feel about adopted children ?” I manage to whisper, lowering my eyes, not to have to witness his reaction 

His silence is deafening and I regret having brought that topic up tonight. 

“I never considered it,” he eventually says, with so much softness in his voice that it makes my heart beat faster “but that could do, yes. Although it’s a complicated path, especially for childless couples like we are.” 

“I know but…” 

“Are you sterile ?” he asks me 

“I’m not.” I answer “I don’t know if I am. And I don’t care. But as much as I can picture myself having children, I am very much afraid of being pregnant. You may laugh, it sounds even more ridiculous said out loud than in my head…” 

He smirks, chuckles, and kisses me on the forehead. 

“First of all : I have no intention of having you fall pregnant anytime soon. Second : this is not ridiculous, your body, your choice, and pregnancy is transforming your whole body, so I understand your fear. And third : adoption is a noble way to become parents, and if this is the way we choose to have children, then so be it. We have plenty of time to discuss this anyway, sweetheart.” 

“I love you so much, Gerald. Thank you for being so understanding.” 

“Did you really think I would not understand ?” 

“Some men are really keen on… having their own seed growing and expanding the family tree.” I cringe “I had a brief relationship with a guy like that.” 

“How could you ?” laughs my partner “But no, I’m not that much attached to my genes. Of course, I’d be delighted if we could have a mini-us, a biological one, but if this is a bridge we choose not to cross so be it.” 

“Thank you. And for the record : my mind isn’t set for sure yet, but I needed to be honest with you, I owed you this truth, before you engaged further into this relationship with me.” 

“This doesn’t change how much I want to be with you.” he says to me, planting another kiss on my forehead 

“Even with my horrible parents ?” 

“Oh, they didn’t sound that horrible.” he reacts “Worried, yes. Alarmed, probably. But not horrible.” 

“I hate them.” 

“HEY !” he scolds me “Don’t say that.” 

He takes my face in his hands and he says with his deep voice, weighing all of his words : 

“Yes, they’ve hurt you. They have hurt you so much, but you don’t hate them. They are your parents, and they are right to be worried about this relationship you are having with me.” 

“No they don’t.” 

“Elena, you are way smarter than that : you know that if you were in their shoes, you’d worry too. You would probably not freak out as much as them, but you would worry.” 

“I… Hmm… Yes.” I shrug “Maybe.” 

He’s got a point. Of course I would worry if one of my children was dating a minister. Not much about the age gap, but about the position and exposure. But I am responsible, and I know what I am doing. And I have proved countless times to my parents that I can be trusted. And I need them to trust me on that point too. 

“Can we sleep now ?” suggests Gerald “You look exhausted, and we both had a long day.” 

“You look more tired than I do.” I tease him 

“I did a return travel to Marseille, shall I remind you ?” 

“I remember, thank you.” I joke “Did you sleep in the plane ?” 

“If only.” he sighs “I really wish I could grab a couple minutes of rest but no… Briefing with my team, with the prefect, with my colleagues, review of the latest information… I really had no time.” 

“I am sorry for that.” 

“Don’t be. I wanted this life, and I am happy about it. But now, I want to go to bed, with you on top of me.” 

“On top of you ?” I say, arching an eyebrow 

“You know what I mean, you always climb halfway on top of me to fall asleep anyway.” 

We both laugh and I have to admit it is true. We somehow end up in improbable positions when falling asleep in the same bed, but that’s an oddity we don’t really mind. Gerald lies down on his back, his head on the pillow, and I lie on my stomach, halfway on top of him, an arm around his waist, my legs tangled with his, my head on his chest, and Morpheus is not long to take us both into the realm of dreams. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What about this chapter?
> 
> Elena comng back to Beauvau alone? How scared she is to have to call back her friends and family? The conversation with her best friend? How worried and concerned her best friend is? How Elena defends her relationship with Gerald? The heavy conversation with her sister after that? The way they are unable to try and understand each other's point of view? Elena's brother in law trying not to get too involved? Elena's sister telling her she has to let their parents know? Elena being in tears after that call? Her need to feel closer than ever to her boyfriend with the fact she borrows his sweatshirt from his wardrobe? Elena falling asleep on the couch? Gerald waking her up and refusing to leave her side? Elena sharing her doubts and fears? Gerald reassuring her? The way he steals her phone and "calls" her father? How she realizes it's just a joke and ends up in his arms crying all the tension of the day? Him playing guitar for her(and singing) whe she cooks dinner? Their conversation about kids over dinner? The need for sex afterwards? Elena wanting to be in charge? Them deciding to not use protection? How the sex helps them reinforce their love? Elena calling her parents while Gerald showers? Gerald coming back and asking if she needs help? The way he hugs her throughout the entire conversation? Elena's parents not being able to understand this relationship? The way Elena feels afterwards? Their conversation in bed about children and having a family of their own? How Gerald makes sure Elena doesn't hate her family? The way they get to sleep in each other's arms?
> 
> Do you expect anything in the upcoming chapters?


	10. Texting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!  
> This is by far not my best chapter but I think I managed to get something decent of it.  
> As you can guess with the title, there's a lot of texting between the lovers... To me it seems quite "readable" and understandable but let me know if you think it's not.

I give a quick glance towards my laptop, and smile when I see that the Parliamentary session is resuming. It is the night’s one, and Gerald is on the Minister’s bench. The law they are discussing is boring, even for them, but they have to talk about it, and I am watching for the sole purpose of having an eye on my boyfriend. We haven’t seen each other much this week, because Gerald’s schedule has been extremely busy and unmatching with mine. I miss him, and I have no idea of when I’ll be able to see him again. The beeping sound of the microwave draws me back from my thoughts and I grab my plate inside of it. I get back to the table with it and start eating dinner in front of my laptop. I cringe when I get the first glimpse of Gerald on the screen and take my phone to send him a message. 

Me : Sorry to say that to you, honey, but your tie looks horrendous. And for God’s sake, can’t you tie it properly ? 

The answer comes to me in no time 

G.D. : Are you watching me o.0 ? And yes, sure I’ll re-tie it. 

I keep eating my dinner and see him discreetly make again the knot of his tie so it looks more decent. 

G.D. : You haven’t answered me, are you watching ? 

Me : No, idiot, I just wanted to tell you your tie was ugly. Of course I’m watching ! That gives me at least a tiny illusion of being in the same room as you. 

G.D. : I miss you too. 

I grin and put my empty plate in the sink. I will wash it later, for now, I only want to watch my boyfriend, and pretend he is with me, and not in the center of Paris, far away from me. 

Me : Would you consider coming to sleep here after your session at the Assembly ? 

Gerald can not answer me immediately, because he has to give his opinion on some amendments, and it gives me another idea. 

Me : And would you like to play a game, to spice up this boring session ? 

I open a blank document on my laptop and split my screen in half to work on my fanfictions while watching the session. 

G.D. : Are you sure you want me to join you after midnight ? Do you work tomorrow ? I am going to arrive late, and leave early. I’m not saying I don’t want to join you, but I wouldn’t want us to be frustrated by the very few hours we’d spend together.    
And yes, I’d play with you. 

Me : Of course I’m sure. I’d like to sleep in your arms tonight, Gerald. For the game… May I suggest words that you have to include into your talks ? I’ve heard that’s what politicians do at the Assembly ;) 

G.D. : I’ll sleep at your place then. And yes for the game. But you seem to know too much my dear Elena. Way too much. And what do I get if I manage to place those words into my speech ? 

I chuckle when I receive this last text. Of course he’d want a reward. That was to be expected. I type a few lines on my fanfiction, while thinking about what I could reward him with, and my smile enlarges as I realize the obvious answer : this will be a teasing game. He’d want sex, and we could use this game as some teasing to make the temperature rise between us. 

Me : You’ll see, Mister Darmanin, what you will get as a reward. 

I see him smirk when he reads the text and I think about what I’m going to ask him to say. The law is about the upcoming elections, so I need to find something inconspicuous enough for our game not to be revealed. 

Me : I dare you to place a quote from La Fontaine the next time you speak.

I keep watching the session, and keep an attentive ear out for the next time my boyfriend gets on the microphone. He naturally quotes Jean de La Fontaine, as if it was the most usual thing in the world and it brings a huge smile to my face. He was up to the first challenge. As soon as he sits back on the bench, he sends me a text. 

G.D. : Challenge done ! Where’s my reward ? 

Me : You are very demanding tonight, Gerald. What would you like as a reward ? Words or pictures ? 

G.D. : Surprise me, my sweet Elena ! 

I sigh and take some time before answering. I prepare myself some tea and write a few more lines on my fanfiction before sending a new message to my boyfriend. 

Me : Your first reward : you get to choose in which outfit I’ll sleep tonight… 

G.D. : Oh, I think you know the answer to that one already, honey 

That means naked. In his arms. After sex. We both know that and I feel a light blush coming to my cheeks.    
  
Me : Naughty boy. Your second challenge is to say the word ONION the next time you speak. 

G.D. : Onion ? Really ? You’re a monster ! 

I chuckle and focus back on my writing in the waiting for my boyfriend to speak again. The amendments are being thoroughly defended and it takes a tremendous amount of time before Gerald gets up again to speak. When he finally does, my eyes get back on him and I listen to what he says : 

“...about this law, and I have listened to the opinions of the right and left of this Assembly, but I really don’t think we are up to the debate with those purely political considerations. Besides, if we really peel the onion of the technical aspects of your amendments, they are unconstitutional, and I am afraid the law will be banned by our Constitutional Council.” 

I grin and take a selfie that I send to my boyfriend as his second reward. 

G.D. : You look cute tonight, Elena. Your smile is making me weak, and I can’t wait to be home with you. How can I miss you so much ? Are you a sorceress ? Did you bewitch me ? Why can’t I get you out of my mind ? 

Me : I’m no witch, but you’re on my mind 24/7 too. I love you so much, Gerald. And I miss spending time with you. 

It is true. I miss him, and I have missed him a lot these past couple of days. Being separated from him is a challenge, especially now that we are more or less official. Or at least less secret. When our relationship leaked on social media about ten days ago, it rocked our world, and provoked quite the drama, especially when I had to announce it to my family. And I haven’t talked to them about it ever since. I spoke to my parents, but we avoided the topic like the plague, and pretended it never existed. Maybe, one day, they’ll come around it. Or maybe they won’t. But I don’t care, I am more sure than ever of what I feel for Gerald and that he is the man I have ever looked for. The only one that I need, the one I will marry, and spend my entire life with. 

Me : Your next challenge, if you accept, is to quote Céline Dion. 

G.D. : I do hope the reward for that one is worth it. 

Me : It’s one that you’ll have to hide your phone to check out ;) 

G.D. : Challenge accepted ! Watch me ! 

He is grinning like a little boy on Christmas morning at his seat, and I can’t help but grin myself behind my screen. Of course he’d be up for this challenge. I’m very happy that we can share this little game, even if we’re not physically together. And there’s this promise of us being together for the night. 

Obviously, Gerald manages to quote Celine Dion while defending the benefit of pushing back the election dates, and implementing new rules for the vote. I had no doubts about that, and I grin even harder to see his smile enlarge as he speaks. He knows he’ll be rewarded as much as the challenge was hard. I remove my t-shirt and throw it on the back of the chair next to me and I send once again a selfie to my boyfriend, so that I can tease him with the view of me in my bra. I see him check his phone discreetly under the desk at the Assembly and he blushes slightly, placing his phone face down on the table. Apparently, the picture had the expected outcome. I knew I could tease him with that, it’s so easy. 

G.D. : You’re my little demon, Elena. And sooooo tempting ! I can’t wait to be back home with you ! I swear we’ll celebrate that in the best way possible ! 

Me : Oh really ? How will we celebrate that, my dear Minister ? 

G.D. : Against the wall ? Under the shower ? In bed ? What do you prefer ? 

Me : I’m tempted by the wall, honestly. If you want to. 

G.D. : You’ve got a deal, my sweet Elena ! Against the wall it will be ! I will be too much in a hurry to wait, anyway… 

I chuckle and finish my cup of tea. I give a quick glance at the clock and realize that there’s only an hour left at the Assembly, so that Gerald should be home not long after that. I work for a little while on my writing, and Gerald works as well, thus passing time. 

G.D. : Are you wearing the panties that are matching your bra ? 

The notification made me jump in scare and I burst into laughter when I read the naughty text my boyfriend sent me. 

Me : If you want to know, you’ll have to take on another challenge : you have to find a way to say ‘I love you’ the next time you speak… 

G.D. : Why are you so tough ? 

Me : Because I know you’ll find a way, honey ! And think about your reward… 

I catch a sight of him pouting and crossing his arms at the Assembly. He looks cute like that, and my heart melts entirely. When it is his time to speak, I pay closer attention to every word he says, and listen to hear if he manages to take on this challenge. 

“... and I believe that what is our duty, as representatives of the people, is to tell the people that voted for us : I love you. Yes, yes, you may scream, or think I am crazy, but this is the type of relationship you need to have with your constituents. If there is no love, no faith, no trust in you, they won’t vote. And the question we have to ask ourselves is : HOW ? How do we give these people this feeling, this desire to go to the poll and vote ?” 

Well done. He sits back and takes his phone on the desk to send me a text. 

G.D. : So ? Matching panties ? 

I grin and open the fly of my trousers. I am, indeed, wearing the panties matching with my bra. It’s pure luck, and totally wasn’t planned. I take a quick picture that reveals this and send it to my boyfriend. Once again, he checks it under the desk and he blushes adorably. Our night will be so steamy, but so intense at the same time. 

Me : You do have your set of keys with you ? 

I had a set of keys for my apartment made for him last week, and I dropped by his office to give them to him. I thought it could be practical and I was apparently right to do so. 

G.D. : I do. Why ? 

Me : I am going to take a shower, I’ll lock the door of the apartment, use your keys to get in. I can’t wait for you to be here. I love you, honey. 

G.D. : I love you too 

I add a few more lines to my document, put my empty mug in the sink and wash the dishes, leaving them to dry. I shut down my laptop and check that the entrance door of the flat is locked. But it already is : I always lock it when I get back home. I strip down naked on my way to the bathroom and step under the shower stream, letting the hot water run onto my body. It’s soothing and it feels so great. I close my eyes and think about Gerald. I picture him with me, his hands on my hips, his lips in my neck, his body against mine. My whole body is waking up to that desire and when I wash myself with the soap I can feel my nipples harden, and my lower stomach react to my hands sliding on my skin. I am nothing but lust when I step out of the hower, and I quickly dry myself, and comb my hair as I predict Gerald will be home soon. I drop the towel at my feet when I hear his key in the lock of the door, and I lean against the doorframe of the bathroom, entirely naked, waiting for him. 

“Honey, I’m home.” he says as he walks in, closing the door after himself 

“Lock the door.” I answer 

He notices me and his eyes travels up and down on my body several times before he can say and do anything. 

“Lock the door, Gerald.” I repeat with a smirk “Then I’m all yours.”

Gerald locks the door, drops his jacket and tie on the back of a chair and joins me by the bathroom. 

“Oh, Elena,” he whispers, before kissing me “I have missed you so much. And I love when you’re teasing me in such inappropriate ways.” 

“I’m your little demon.” I reply, wrapping my arms around his neck 

Our lips find each other again, and our kiss becomes desperate. We can’t stop, and we kiss as if the other was our only supply of oxygen. There is no need to talk, no need for words, our bodies are the ones doing the talking. Gerald uses both his hands to open the buckle of his belt, and then the fly of his trousers, and he pins me harder against the wall, his lips still on mine. I moan hard and he frees his cock from his underwear. Gerald helps me wrap my legs around his waist, and he breaks our kiss for a second to ask. 

“Are you correctly positioned ?” 

“I am.” I answer “But, please, don’t…” 

“I know.” he cuts me “I’ll be careful.” 

“Or,” I suggest “if you’re strong enough to lift me and carry me to the other wall, there’s condoms in my nightstand.” 

Displeased that I could challenge his strength, he carries me all the way across the room, my legs still around his hips, my arms around his neck, and he pins me against the wall, next to the bed. 

“Satisfied, my sweet Elena ?” he smirks 

“Very much, Mister Darmanin.” I tease him 

He looks for a condom in the nightstand with one of his hands, without looking at what he does, and he places it between my teeth. 

“Don’t move.” he orders me 

As if I could. He lowers one of his hands between us, and gets onto my intimacy. He finds it warm and wet, ready to welcome him, and it makes him smile. 

“Just wanted to check that,” he says, removing the condom from my mouth “now we can get onto serious matters.” 

He rips open the wrapping, and puts the condom on his cock before sliding into me. I scream his name, forgetting for a second that I have neighbours. I tilt my head backwards, and Gerald covers my throat with kisses. I try to keep my voice as low as possible, but Gerald is thrusting himself fast and strong inside of me and I can barely contain my moans. He himself is nothing but pure pleasure, and both our bodies are consumed from within by this sexual chemistry we are sharing. We orgasm together, at the same time, both screaming each other’s name, panting and sweating heavily. 

“Oh, God…” whispers Gerald, resting his forehead on my shoulder “That was something…” 

“It was incredible.” I nod in answer, kissing him on the cheek “I love you, Gerald.” 

I get back on my feet as soon as he gets off from me, and I let myself down on the bed while he goes into the bathroom. He joins me five minutes later, and finishes stripping off by the bed. I am surprised to see him just drop his clothes on the floor but he explains to me : 

“I’ve got a clean suit in my car. Don’t worry about me looking impeccable tomorrow.” 

“Oh, I do not worry.” I chuckle “You always look incredible.” 

“You look very beautiful too,” he says lying down next to me “especially when you’re naked.” he adds in a whisper 

We look at each other and burst into laughter at the same time. We truly missed spending that time together, and it proves that even after so many days, our bond is just the same. Gerald kept his underwear to sleep and he lies down on his back, so I can snuggle against him, in my favorite position to sleep. He puts an arm around my shoulders and kisses me on the forehead. 

“I love you Elena. And thank you so much for entertaining me tonight. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.” 

“I know. My pleasure. What are you doing tomorrow ?” 

“I have a meeting at the Ministry in the morning, and then I am due to go on the field with a police unit doing drug control in the suburbs. And political meetings in the evening.” 

“What. A. Boring. Day.” 

Gerald chuckles and steals a kiss from my lips. 

“Would you want to come sleep at home tomorrow evening ? It would help brighten my day.” 

“I can’t, I’m going to see a play…” 

“Uuuh,” he groans “why did I fall in love with such a nerd ? I love you, sweetheart, but can’t you trade the play for some amazing sex with me ?” 

“No.” I chuckle “It’s Shakespeare.” 

“Fine,” he laughs “if it’s Shakespeare, I surrender.” 

We both laugh and I snuggle closer to him. Gerald draws the cover over us, and it is not long until we both fall asleep. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What's your opinion on this chapter? Elena watching Gérald at distance because they can't spend the evening together? The way she teases him on his tie being horrendous and not tied properly? The way they miss each other like crazy and decide that Gerald could spend the night at Elena's place? The game she suggest? Gérald demanding rewards? The game turning into a teasing game? The way Elena challenges him? The way she teases him? How they both become really really impatient to be together? Elena getting excited under the shower? Her waiting for Gérald entirely naked? The way he pins her against the wall? The way she manages to slow him down so they can have protected intercourse? The very very intense sex against the wall? The talk in bed d afterwards? The way they sleep together?

**Author's Note:**

> As previously said, having your opinions on this chapter might help me for the ones to come :)  
> Please, say hi, leave a comment, and tell me whether or not you enjoy this chapter and why :D


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